Insurgency: Insurgency-Free Seal

Another Laguan town has been declared insurgency free.  

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1222918

Paete town was officially declared insurgency-free, making it the fourth municipality in this province to be included in the roster of Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) areas, the Laguna Provincial Police Office (LPPO) announced on Thursday.

Col. Gauvin Mel Unos, acting director of the LPPO, told reporters that Paete follows the lead of Kalayaan and Santa Maria towns, which were declared free of rebel influence in July 2023, and Cavinti town, which received its insurgency-free seal on Feb. 27.

"This declaration is a testament to Laguna citizens’ desire to break free from the clutches of terrorism and instead focus on harnessing their economic potential by ensuring peace within their communities," he said.

Unos disclosed that other jurisdictions within the province are candidates for SIPS status as well, and an evaluation process is being undertaken by the LPPO in collaboration with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

He said that under current government guidelines, a jurisdiction can only be awarded the SIPS seal if no violent terrorist activities have been recorded within its boundaries for at least one year.

Paete is a fourth class municipality in the province of Laguna with a population of 29,945 according to a 2020 census.

The basis for this declaration is that "no violent terrorist activities have been recorded within its boundaries" for a whole year. As we have previously seen that does not mean there are no insurgents. It simply means there have been no violent activities in a 365 day period. But too often the rebels show their faces before long.

The AFP says amnesty is key to ending the insurgency. But the NTF-ELCAC says the Anti-Terrorism Council's redesignation of the CPP-NPA as a terror group is also vital to ending the insurgency. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1222925

The Anti-Terrorism Council's (ATC) move to redesignate the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) as a terror group is a big boost to curb insurgency, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said Thursday.

In a statement, NTF-ELCAC executive director, Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr., said this is “significant” in the campaign to eliminate all remaining 11 weakened NPA guerilla fronts this year to achieve total victory against the communist movement.

Torres also noted that the ATC conducted a thorough analysis of the data and reaffirmed the CPP-NPA's status as a terrorist organization.

"The CPP-NPA's continued classification is justified by its flagrant violations of Section 4 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), which includes acts of terrorism against government forces and instilling fear among the general population. The CPP-NPA's involvement in numerous crimes resulting in fatalities and widespread disruption underscore the significance of this classification," he explained.

According to the 2023 Global Terrorism Index (GTI), the NPA is ranked 15th among the 20 Deadliest Terror Groups of 2022, underscoring the severe threat posed by the CPP-NPA's terrorist activities.

Torres said the redesignation marks a critical step in the collective efforts to combat terrorism and ensure the safety and security of all citizens.

He also affirmed the NTF-ELCAC's support for the ATC in addressing the challenges posed by terrorist organizations like the CPP-NPA.

"We also welcome ATC Resolution Number 53, which identifies Elizabeth Pineda Principe, known by various aliases, as a terrorist individual," Torres said.

He also added that the resolution "meticulously outlines the reasons" for designating Principe as a terrorist individual.

"It details her involvement in armed encounters, recruitment efforts, and planning sessions aimed at escalating and perpetuating terrorist activities. Principe's role as a high-ranking leader and Central Committee member of the CPP-NPA, as stated in the resolution, strengthens the ATC's decision," Torres said.

He added the designation highlights the severity of Principe's involvement in terrorist activities, as evidenced by her direct participation in armed encounters, sabotage incidents, and recruitment efforts for the CPP-NPA.

Torres stressed that the ATC's thorough examination of evidence gathered by Philippine law enforcement agencies and the military has revealed probable cause for Principe's involvement in terrorist planning, facilitation, and execution.

However, this redesignation occurred in 2020 and the insurgency is still ongoing. 

Recently a clash in Albay resulted in the death of an NPA fighter and the discovery of an arm's cache. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/19/npa-killed-arms-cache-recovered-in-albay

A member of the New People's Army (NPA) was killed and his two comrades were arrested during an encounter in remote Barangay Magogon, Camalig, Albay on Thursday, April 18.

Police Lt. Col. Malu Calubaquib, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office-5 (PRO-5), said a concerned citizen reported their presence to authorities.

Police, soldiers, and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency-5 personnel were deployed to the area and engaged an undetermined number of communist rebels. The encounter lasted for about 30 minutes.

No casualty was recorded on the government side. The fatality is yet to be identified.

Arrested were identified as alias Marsi or Masi, 42, a construction worker, and Ka Yeng, 44, a farmer.

Calubaquib said that Marsi had a standing warrant of arrest for attempted murder and destructive arson.

Ka Yeng had a warrant of arrest for murder with no bail recommended.

She said the arrested rebels revealed to the Camalig Municipal Police Station the location of an arms cache in Purok 3, Barangay Panoypoy, Camalig. Troops recovered the weapons stash in a follow-up operation.

PRO-5 Director Police Brig. Gen. Andre Dizon commended operating units for their achievement. 

Another NPA arms cache has been discovered Quezon. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/20/npa-arms-cache-recovered-in-quezon

A New People’s Army (NPA) arms cache was recovered in Barangay Piis here on Friday afternoon, April 19.

Police Major Marnie Abellanida, Lucban police chief, said a rebel returnee reported to them that an arms cache was buried in the area.

The police and military went to the area and excavated war materials composed of a hand grenade, caliber .38 revolver, and explosive devices.

The war materials belong to the Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee (STRPC) 4-A.

Meanwhile, two NPA rebels – Sak and Tomas – surrendered to the police in Laguna and Batangas on Friday.

Sak was a member of party-list group Bayan and an organizer of the Southern Tagalog Cultural Network (STCN). He surrendered in Barangay Looc in Calamba City, Laguna.

Tomas turned himself in Camp Col. Jose P. Razon in Barangay Bilaran, Nasugbu, Batangas. He surrendered a caliber .38 with bullets and a rifle grenade.

An NPA arms cache was aslo discoveed in Cagayan. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/20/communist-weapons-stash-found-in-cagayan

A New People’s Army arms cache was unearthed in Alcala, Cagayan on April 19.

A former communist rebel revealed the location of the weapons stash to authorities.

The police and military were deployed to Sitio Banal in Barangay Dalaoig and found 18 40mm cartridge, three short magazines for M16, 75 M16 bullets, 12 .38 caliber ammunition, seven M14 bullets, and seven Carbine ammunition.

These were taken to the Alcala police station for proper disposition.

The operation was part of the efforts of the Cagayan Police Provincial Office led by Police Col. Julio S. Gorospe Jr. to address insurgency in this province. 

Now, we have heard so much about how the AFP wants the remaining NPA to surrender so they can assimilate back into society and avail of the many offered benefits like housing and money. But not all ex-rebels have turned good. Some of them have become hired assassins. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1931421/trader-ex-rebel-ordered-arrested-for-agusan-sur-exec-slay

A Quezon City court has ordered the arrest of a businessman, and a former New People’s Army (NPA) guerrilla, so they would be made to answer for their alleged involvement in the killing in 2021 of retired Colonel Samuel Afdal.

Presiding Judge Juris Dilinila-Callanta of Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 85 issued the arrest warrant against Ryan Mark Baylon, president of JB Earthmovers Inc. based in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, and former rebel Rosalino Degracia alias Okie, for the murder of Afdal, who owned the Rosario Manobo Mining Corp. (RMMC).

No bail was recommended.

Baylon and Degracia are among four identified suspects in the ambush of Afdal on Oct. 26, 2021, in Sta. Cruz village of Rosario town, Agusan del Sur as he was driving along an uphill road toward the RMMC base camp.

Although hit, the former soldier managed to drive toward the RMMC compound and sought help. He was rushed to a local hospital where he later lapsed into a coma and died on Nov. 15, 2021.

A third suspect, Alemar Awado alias Dongkoy, also a former NPA guerrilla, had been detained in a jail in Bislig City, Surigao del Sur for another murder charge.

The case of Afdal is now heard in a Quezon City court after the Supreme Court granted the prayer of his widow, Evelyn, the main complainant, for transfer of venue from Regional Trial Court Branch 6 in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur.

Before the transfer of venue, Agusan del Sur provincial prosecutor Ceferino Dino Paredes indicted Awado, Baylon, and Degracia for Afdal’s ambush before the court in Prosperidad last Jan. 31.

In his Jan. 18 resolution, Paredes gave credence to the accounts of the fourth suspect, former NPA rebel Jeffrey Mamerto, who admitted to have staged the ambush against Afdal, known to his associates as Saga.

On the basis of his admission, Mamerto pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of homicide and was meted a 10-year prison term by Prosperidad RTC Presiding Judge Emily Zen Chua.

Mamerto was indicted for the crime in November 2022 but it was only in October 2023 that he confessed about his role in it.

Mamerto had pointed to Baylon, Afdal’s business associate, as the mastermind of the kill plot, allegedly offering his former NPA colleagues Degracia and Awado P200,000 to do the hit job. Mamerto, in turn, was contracted for P50,000 to pull the trigger against Afdal.

This whole hit against retired Colonel Samuel Afdal was carried out by ex-rebels who have surrendered. One of them surrendered four years ago in January, 2020. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1092354

The Army’s 75th Infantry Battalion reported Wednesday (January 29) the surrender of four regular members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Surigao del Sur.

Lt. Col. Warren Munda, 75IB commander, identified the four NPA rebels with their aliases as “Lupin”, “Randy”, “Gaston”, and “Dongkoy,” who were assigned to the Guerrilla Front 14 (GF-14), North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC), of the NPA.

Munda said the surrenderers turned over firearms and ammunition when they yielded in Barangay Maharlika, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur, on January 27.

The Army official welcomed the surrender of the four NPA rebels, saying the government is always open and ready to accept rebels who would decide to return to the fold of the law.

“We will help you to start anew, and together we will help each other bringing high hopes for our community to be more developed and peaceful,” Munda said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

In the same statement, one of the former rebels identified as “Lupin” said they could no longer bear the hardships they experience in the hinterlands of Surigao del Sur.

Lupin said they were also motivated to yield because of their desire to reunite with their families.

 

Munda said the four former rebels will be enrolled in the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) for them to receive immediate cash and livelihood assistance as well as remuneration for the surrendered firearms.

“We will help you to start anew, and together we will help each other bringing high hopes for our community to be more developed and peaceful," says the AFP. And several of them have returned to their old ways. Is this a rare event? Even if it is not it underscores the fact that NPA rebels are criminals and need to be prosecuted and imprisoned, not given taxpayer funded benefits or amnesty.

Insurgency: Airdrops Leaflets

As the NPA shrinks and guerrilla fronts fall the government continues to urge the remaining Reds to surrender. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1222213

Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) called on the remnants of the New People's Army (NPA) to abandon the armed struggle and contribute to unity, peace and development, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has said.

The anti-insurgency body, in a statement Sunday, said Galvez made the appeal during a recent briefing at the Presidential Communications Office.

"Conflicts can be resolved peacefully. Our commitment is to show all parties that dialogue is a more effective approach than armed struggle," Galvez said.

The OPAPRU chief also shared his agency's initiatives in rallying support from various sectors, including religious communities and international allies.

He stressed the importance of public diplomacy in demonstrating that armed struggle is outdated and counterproductive.

“The essence of our peace efforts lies in the heart of our communities. By engaging various sectors—religious groups, local leaders, and international allies—we are knitting a fabric of unity strong enough to withstand the challenges of conflict," Galvez said.

One way to reach those in the hinterlands is by dropping thousands of leaflets. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1928499/military-chopper-airdrops-leaflets-to-ask-npa-members-to-surrender

The Philippine Army dropped leaflets from a military chopper in Aurora and Nueva Vizcaya to convince the remaining New People’s Army (NPA) fighters in these areas to surrender.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said airborne leaflet operations were conducted last March 28, in Barangay Galintuja in Maria Aurora town, Aurora; and Barangay Lub-lub in Alfonso Castañeda town in Nueva Vizcaya.

Padilla said the Army utilized the Black Hawk chopper of Philippine Air Force to conduct the operations which was done due to the area’s difficult terrain.

“These areas are really difficult to reach and it’s also very difficult for us to get our message across,” Padilla told reporters in a phone interview.

Padilla said around 1,000 leaflets containing the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program were dropped in said areas.

“We are enticing these individuals to go back to the folds of the law; we are very open for them to join the society and once again be with their families,” she said.

Padilla noted that the airborne leaflet operations are part of the AFP’s operational mix on information campaign.

How many of those leaflets will actually reach any NPA fighters is unclear. Especially seeing as the AFP claims the NPA is down to just over 1,500 and they certainly are not clustered in two barangays. 

More NPA leaders have fallen. One due to the support of local people.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1222459

The Philippine Army has welcomed the recent arrest in Consolacion, Cebu of the second-highest leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Eastern Visayas, who orchestrated several terrorist activities in Samar Island.

Maj. Gen. Camilo Ligayo lauded the arrest of Romulo Micabalo, alias Ned, the second top leader of the NPA Eastern Visayas regional party committee on April 8, and credited the accomplishment to the Army’s counterparts in ending the local communist armed conflict.

"The support of our partner stakeholders is the key to this achievement, as we continue to crack down on communist terrorists in their smallest formations. We will be relentless in our operations. We assure you that our people will be protected and freed from violence and atrocities by the NPA,” he said.

Ligayo said Micabilo was behind several atrocities in Samar provinces.

Among these were the burning of Jipapad-Las Navas road construction equipment in upland villages of Las Navas town in July 2021, the ambuscade and massacre of a soldier and three militiamen, and the wounding of six militiamen who were building an army detachment in Jipapad, Eastern Samar, also in July 2021.

He was also tagged in the attack on soldiers tasked to secure the construction of school buildings in Dorillo and villages in Jipapad town in October 2022. A 10-year-old child was hurt in the incident.

Micabalo has a standing warrant of arrest for two counts of kidnapping with serious illegal detention and robbery with violence against or intimidation of a person in Agusan del Sur.

His father, Dionisio Micabalo, alias Muling, the top leader of the NPA-North Central Mindanao regional party committee, was killed in an encounter with government troops in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental on July 26, 2023.

Another ranking NPA officer was killed in a clash with the AFP.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/11/ranking-cpp-npa-officer-killed-3-others-fall-after-bukidnon-clash

A high-ranking officer of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) died while three others are now under military custody after a fierce gun battle in Quezon town of Bukidnon on Wednesday , April 10.

Brig. Gen. Marion Angcao, commander of the 1003rd Infantry Brigade, said the clash erupted when his men chanced upon a small group of communist rebels in Purok 8 in Barangay Butong.

Alias Rica/Tomboy died as a result of the clash with Angcao saying that the fatality was a ranking officer of what was left of the Guerrilla Front 7 of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC).

He said two other communist rebels were captured while the third surrendered a few hours later.

Seized after the clash were an M16 rifle with an attached M203 Grenade Launcher, anAK47 Rifle, an M1 Carbine Rifle, a Caliber 45 pistol, three backpacks, an anti-personnel mine, a hand grenade and two 40mm high explosives.

Citing background check, Angcao said alias Rica/Tomboy has several warrants of arrest for the crimes of murder, multiple attempted homicides, and violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunitions. 

But it is not only the NPA who are falling. 3 members of DI surrendered recently. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/8/3-daulah-islamiyah-members-yield-in-north-cotabato

Three members of the Daulah Islamiyah-Hassan Group surrendered in Carmen, North Cotabato on April 5.

Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. William Gonzales said they turned themselves in to joint elements of the 90th Infantry Battalion, Carmen Municipal Police Station, and intelligence units.

Gonzales attributed their surrender to the collaborative efforts of the police and military in Central Mindanao and the unwavering support of local government units and communities.

The surrenderers who turned over guns and bullets were presented to the local government of Carmen headed by Mayor Rogelio Taliño, 602nd Infantry Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Donald Gumiran, and 90th Infantry Battalion commanding officer Lt. Col. Rowel Gavilanes.

The surrenderers are  undergoing custodial debriefing at the 602nd Infantry Brigade headquarters. 

They received a sack of rice as assistance from the local government of Carmen.

Not only will they receive a sack of rice but they will also get lots of freebies from the E-CLIP money program.

5 Abu Sayyaf fighters also surrendered. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/8/5-abu-sayyaf-group-fighters-surrender-in-basilan

Five members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) surrendered to the 64th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Tumahubong, Sumisip, Basilan on April 4.

Lt. Col. Abel Potutan, 64th Infantry Battalion commander, said the surrenderers turned over one M16 rifle, one M14 rifle, one M79 grenade launcher, and two Garand rifles to Brig. Gen. Alvin V. Luzon, commander of the 101st Infantry Brigade.

Luzon welcomed the surrenderers and commended the 64th Infantry Battalion for facilitating their surrender that he said paves the way for peace and development in his area of operations.

He also attributed their successful surrender to the collaborative efforts and untiring support of local government units and people of Basilan.

“It is a testament that as we work together, we can achieve peace and prosperity that can make Basilan an ASG-free province. We will help these five former ASG members rejoin the mainstream society and live a normal, peaceful, and harmonious life with their families,” he added.

Again, the AFP attributes this to collaboration with the local population. That means someone is snitching. How do snitches fare in the Philippines?

Insurgency: Gasping For Breath

The AFP says the NPA has been greatly weakened due to lack of support from the community. It is the community who is informing on the movements and location of the NPA.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1221750

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is confident the government security forces will soon dismantle the 11 weakened New People's Army guerilla fronts within the year.

This as NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. said in a statement on Sunday that the creation of the task force in 2018 is instrumental in the reduction and elimination of so-called "mass bases" that led to the weakening and subsequent dismantling of NPA guerilla fronts.

Torres added that one of the essential characteristics of an NPA-cleared area is the lack of a "mass base" and resource generation capability, which also means that the inhabitants of a cleared locality have no more sympathy toward the communist insurgents.

"This means that the residents there are the ones giving information to security forces of (NPA) attempts to return to community by conducting atrocities or extortion," he added.

Torres' remarks came in response to doubts about the strength and armed capability of the NPA owing to recent encounters between state forces and communist rebels in some parts of the country.

The AFP also claims the CPP-NPA is "grasping for breath" as leaders continue to fall and valuable resources are lost. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1221813

The government continues to win against insurgency in the Visayas this year, with 44 armed encounters leading to the death of 20 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels as of March 31.

There were also 27 fighters who surrendered and four who were apprehended, reported Visayas Command (Viscom) acting commander Commodore Oscar Canlas Jr. on Monday.

“The CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines- New People’s Army) is now gasping for breath,” he said. “Their leaders continue to fall and they continue to lose valuable resources to foster their armed struggle. As such, we will sustain our momentum and will not allow them from gaining their foothold in the region, ever again.”

Apart from the losses in manpower, Viscom also disclosed that the NPA’s capability has degraded drastically with the seizure of 68 firearms.

“Our efforts will continue to be relentless,” Canlas said, calling on NPA remnants to surrender while they still can. “We will not hesitate to use our full military might to subdue the few remaining members of the terrorist group.” 

Recently the AFP clashed with the NPA in Abra. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/2/troops-npa-clash-in-abra

The 50th Infantry Battalion and the New People’s Army (NPA) clashed on Tuesday morning, April 2, in Barangay Nagcanasan, Pilar, Abra.

The 50th IB was conducting a security operation when they engaged members of the NPA-North Abra Guerilla Field Committee (KLG-North Abra) under the Ilocos Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC) led by Maria Luisa Purcray, a native of Northern Mindanao.

The encounter lasted for about five minutes before the communist guerrillas withdrew. This band of NPA rebels was first monitored in the tri-boundaries of Abra-Kalinga-Apayao.

One soldier was reportedly wounded.

Major Gen. Audrey L. Pasia, commander of the 5th Infantry Division, said this is their fifth encounter with NPA in Abra this year.

Pasia added they are ready to implement their mandate to hunt down and dismantle them if they continue their terrorist activities.

He said this is their fifth encounter with the NPA in Abra this year.

Pasia said they continue to discover NPA encampments in the area daily. “This is proof that these rebels continue to evade authorities as a result of combat and social pressures being conducted by the Abra Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict."

The 5th ID that covers the Ilocos region said  they welcome any NPA rebel willing to lay down their arms and return to the fold of the law.

Pilar Mayor Christopher Beroña said residents living near the encounter site have been evacuated to the municipal gymnasium.

Residents of the area urged prayers from netizens for their safety shortly after the gun battle erupted.

Interestingly it was local residents who gave the AFP the EXACT location of the NPA.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1221912

A military official based in Abra cited locals’ efforts to help address the insurgency problem by reporting the presence of New People’s Army (NPA) members in Pilar, Abra, which resulted in military operations on Tuesday.

"The people did not just report their (rebels’) presence but gave their exact location,” Major Bryan Albano, chief of the Civil Military Operations of the 501st Infantry Brigade based in Lagangilang, Abra said in a phone interview Wednesday.

"Gone were the days when people tolerated their presence due to fear,” he pointed out.

How is it locals knew the exact location and the AFP did not? 

President Marcos has ordered the prompt implementation of the amnesty program.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/4/marcos-orders-prompt-implementation-of-amnesty-program-for-remaining-rebels

President Marcos has ordered the immediate implementation of the amnesty program for the remaining members of communist groups in the country.

Marcos made the directive during  a National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) executive committee meeting on Thursday, April 4.

"The President has directed the immediate implementation of the amnesty program to the remaining members of the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front) since Congress has already concurred with the proclamation," National Security Adviser Secretary Eduardo Año said in a Palace briefing.

He has also expanded the program to include 1,500 more NPA rebels. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1926478/govt-expanding-amnesty-program-for-reds-eyes-1500-more-npas

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the expansion of the government’s amnesty program to include around 1,500 communist rebels who have yet to lay down their arms and return to the fold of the law.

The President gave the directive during an executive meeting of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) on Thursday afternoon in Malacañang.

“The President has directed the immediate implementation of the amnesty program for the remaining members of the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army and National Democratic Front since Congress has already concurred with the proclamation,” National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said in a Palace press briefing.

Año was referring to Proclamation No. 404 issued by Marcos last year, which granted amnesty to former communist rebels who already surrendered their arms.

According to the presidential adviser on the peace process, Carlito Galvez Jr., Proclamation No. 404 only covered around 40,000 ex-rebels who already surrendered to the government.

The expanded coverage ordered by the President for the remaining 1,576 rebels will be contained in another proclamation once the government and the communist insurgents conclude their peace talks.

“It will be a separate proclamation. The proclamation we have now is only for the 40,000 who surrendered. Just in case we already have a final peace agreement, that’s when we will have a new proclamation,” Galvez told reporters in an interview after the press briefing.

In November last year, the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines agreed to pursue a “principled and peaceful resolution” to the decades-old leftist insurgency and address its root causes.

Galvez explained that amnesty was usually granted to rebels after the conclusion of the peace negotiations.

The government expects an initial 1,500 communist rebels to apply and benefit from the expanded amnesty once Malacañang has formalized the offer.

“That’s just the initial applicants. You know how Filipinos are. They will first see if it’s a good deal for them. Once they realize that it will become favorable to them, many will apply,” Galvez said.

As was previously noted those who wish to apply must download a form from the internet. The challenge for the government is informing those eligible. 

Insurgency: Much Needs To Be Done

The NTF-ELCAC has declared 3 more NPA fronts have been dismantled. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1221533

Three more weakened guerilla fronts of the New People's Army (NPA) have been dismantled, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) reported.

"Right now, we have zero active guerrilla fronts already but we still have 11 weakened guerrilla fronts to totally defeat: five in Luzon, three in the Visayas and another three in Mindanao. But as we speak now, meron ng mga reports (there are reports referring to) the eventual total dismantling of two guerrilla fronts in the Visayas and another one in Mindanao," NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. said in a statement released Monday night.

He added they are only waiting for the official validation of the dismantling of these three weakened guerilla fronts before coming out with an official announcement.

Torres also said significant progress had been made this year in terms of neutralizing members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and weakening their ranks.

But the dismantling of these fronts have not even been verified. Why say anything then? Why announce this when they are waiting on validation before "coming out with an official announcement?" 

The NSA is encouraging all rebels to apply for amnesty. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1221541

National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año on Tuesday renewed his call for remnants of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) to avail of the amnesty program offered by the government.

Año, also chair of the National Security Council (NSC), said this invitation is open to all rebels wishing to reunite with their families and loved ones and integrate with mainstream society.

"The National Amnesty Commission has begun accepting applications for amnesty after Congress concurred with the Amnesty Proclamation of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. This is a significant development and a game changer in ending the more than 50-year communist armed conflict in the country," he said in a statement.

Año also said the amnesty program will allow these rebels to build a peaceful and brighter future for themselves and their families.

"We encourage all the remaining active members of the armed rebel groups to seize and embrace this chance for reconciliation and renewal of hope as we all work together towards lasting peace and development," he added.

He also noted that the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict is on track to dismantle all remaining weakened guerilla fronts before the end of the year.

The problem is informing them of this amnesty and their being able to access the internet to fill out the forms. But surely it has to be easy because the NTF-ELCAC has handed out so much money to surrounding rebels that they must have a list. Right?

The fight goes on against those who do not surrender. Two high ranking NPA leaders were recently killed.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/26/high-ranking-npa-leader-2-others-killed-in-batangas-clash-military-2117

A high-ranking member of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) and two others were killed in an encounter with the military in Batangas Tuesday. 

According to the Philippine Army, military troops were conducting operations at Barangay Leviste in Rosario town when they encountered an undetermined number of gunmen allegedly led by Junalice Arante-Isita alyas Arya, from the Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee.

Isita and two others, Bernardo Bagaas alias John Paul, and Erickson Bedonia, alias Ricky, were killed in the 30-minute firefight.

Authorities also recovered several high-powered firearms, 6 jungle packs, and a wire for improvised explosive devices (IED).

Isita has a standing warrant of arrest for violating Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. She was the wife of Isagani Isita alias Yano, who died on July 30, 2023 in Quezon.

The neutralization of Isita is “a substantial blow to the NPA’s leadership and their reorganization effort in Batangas province,” the military added.

Of course the death of this leader is “a substantial blow to the NPA’s leadership and their reorganization effort in Batangas province." It's the same script they give after every death of an NPA leader. 

Two soldiers were hurt in a clash with NPA in Quezon. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1923020/2-soldiers-hurt-in-clash-with-npa-in-quezon

Two Philippine Army soldiers were wounded in an encounter Monday with suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Calauag town in Quezon province.

The Region 4A police identified the wounded troops in an initial report on Tuesday, March 26, as Sergeant Gilbert Esteban, 33, and Corporal Anthony Quierre, 31, who were both hit by shrapnel from an improvised explosive device set up by NPA rebels.

They were taken to the nearest hospital for treatment.

The report said a unit from the Army’s 85th Infantry Battalion was conducting a patrol around 6 p.m. when they encountered NPA rebels in Barangay Doña Aurora.The report did not provide added details on the encounter except that no residents were affected during the clash.

Government checkpoints have been established in strategic areas to support the ongoing pursuit operations against the NPA rebels on the run.

The government forces are also monitoring hospitals and clinics near the area to search for the wounded alleged NPA rebels.

Calauag is located in the province’s 4th district on the boundary of Bicol region.

In June last year, Quezon was declared free from the influence of communist insurgents after it attained “Stable Internal Peace and Security” or SIPS status, which means that the Communist Party of the Philippines, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, and the NPA are no longer a threat to the peace and order in its localities.

However, authorities admitted that the NPA may still have remnants in the province.

But last year Quezon was declared insurgent free! Yet it turns out they are not really insurgent free. So why make that declaration? 

The CPP belies AFP reports of their demise.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1749858/npas-54th-anniv-cpp-touts-steady-advance-afp-sneers-at-irrelevant-movement

The 54th founding anniversary of the communist New People’s Army on Wednesday, March 29, prompted a war of words between both sides of the conflict.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) touted the government’s failure to fully crush the NPA, but the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the Maoist movement is nearing its end.

“The NPA has steadily advanced and surmounted every disadvantage and setback at every historical juncture,” the CPP Central Committee said in its anniversary message.

“It has frustrated the enemy’s campaigns of encirclement and suppression one after another.”

The CPP, while stressing that the AFP’s encirclement campaigns “largely failed to attain its declared objective” of crushing the NPA, admitted that some regions or guerrilla fronts suffered from losses or significant setbacks “due to internal weaknesses and shortcomings.”

The NPA has ben directed to carry out more attacks against government forces. 

https://philippinerevolution.nu/statements/party-directs-npa-to-carry-out-tactical-offensives-frustrate-us-marcos-regimes-war-of-terror/

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today directed the New People’s Army (NPA) to mount tactical offensives that it is capable of winning as it wages a war of active defense to frustrate the brutal campaign of encirclement and suppression being waged by the US-Marcos regime, and shatter the reign of terror of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the countryside.

The Party’s directive was contained in a statement by the Central Committee issued today on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the New People’s Army.

According to the CPP Central Committee, all regional committees of the Party and NPA commands at levels have welcomed the call for rectification movement issued by the Central Committee last December, to correct past errors in order to strengthen the people’s resistance against worsening oppression under the US-Marcos regime.

In fulfilling the directive of mounting tactical offensives, the NPA takes military and political initiative by way of rectifying past errors and overcome the problem of military passivity which resulted from the intertwined problems of conservatism, complacency and self-constriction.

The CPP said the NPA, along with the people’s militias, must carry out all possible kinds of tactical offensives employing all kinds of weapons in the hands of the guerrilla forces and the people, from rocks, machetes, booby traps, rifles and land mines and all sort of weapons that the people can craft.

Units of the NPA and the people’s militias can lay out an ambush against the enemy’s reconnaissance units, perimeter defense or supply lines, attack his isolated outposts, carry out disarming, sniping, demolition, partisan and arrest operations, impose sanctions, mete out justice on counterrevolutionaries and criminal antisocial elements, and so on.

In mounting these tactical offensives, the NPA must aim to seize the enemy’s rifles and war matériel, destroy its supply and communication lines, immobilize their land, air and sea assets, disrupt its plans or blocking its advance, and drawing away its attention from the main direction and plans of the main forces of the NPA.

The CPP underscored that the NPA favors launching basic tactical offensives that weakens the enemy by annihilating its armed forces piece by piece, and takes away its weapons in order that we can arm more recruits and mount even bigger tactical offensives in the future.

The AFP says they do not have the capability to carry out such attacks but remain vigilant anyway.

It's the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. President Marcos says there is sill much needed to be done to end armed conflict in Mindanao. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1923745/marcos-on-goal-to-end-armed-conflict-in-mindanao-much-needs-to-be-done

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said that while much has been done to advance the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), more work remains to be done.

In a Facebook reel posted Wednesday night, Marcos reiterated that the government is committed to enacting the CAB as it celebrated its 10th anniversary.

The CAB is an agreement between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the national government to end its armed conflict.

“There were certainly many challenges, but we persevered. Today, as your president, I stand before you, committed to fulfilling that promise. We have achieved progress, and much needs to be done,” said Marcos.

“Together, we are already enacting vital legislation, ensuring fair elections in 2025, and empowering the Bangsamoro to chart your own prosperous future,” he noted.

“This is our legacy. Let us build it together,” he added.

Marcos recounted that he was one of the legislators who participated in the drafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

“A decade ago, the comprehensive agreement on Bangsamoro lit up our hopes for peace. As a legislator, I proudly participated in drafting the Bangsamoro Basic Law, recognizing the importance of inclusivity and respect for diverse cultures,” said Marcos.

In 2015, the then-senator Marcos called the proposed measure dead as Congress ran out of time to pass it during the last year of former president Benigno Aquino III’s term.

The BBL was eventually passed and signed into law during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte.