NSC SAYS ON-GOING FOCUSED MILITARY OPERATIONS MEANT TO DISMANTLE REMAINING NPA UNITS

April 8, 2024 Community Billboard

The National Security Council said that ongoing focused military operations happening across the country are meant to fully dismantle all remaining NPA units within the year in compliance with the directive of President Ferdinand
Marcos, Jr. to intensify efforts to dismantle weakened NPA guerilla fronts, ensuring a safer and more prosperous future for all Filipinos. National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is working over-time to dismantle the 11 weakened New People’s Army (NPA) guerilla fronts until the end of the year, NPA remnants in other areas, including vertical units and party organs within the organization’s sub-regional
committees and regional party committees.

He said the anti-communist roadmap of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) will be carried out until the very end of the Marcos, Jr. Administration, stressing the role of the AFP even
during the transition from internal to external or territorial defense in the face of tensions in the West Philippine Sea. “So kahit na nagta-transition iyong ating Armed Forces from internal to external, marami pa ring role ang Armed Forces dito. Particularly, ang ating goal is to dismantle the 11 weakened guerilla fronts up to the end of the year and this will also include dismantling 26 vertical units and party organs within the 27 sub-regional committees and 40 regional party committees,” Año said.

Asst. Director-General Jonathan Malaya, NSC Spokesperson, said that the Armed Forces has taken the initiative and
bringing the battle to the last remaining weakened guerilla fronts and remnants of the New Peoples Army across the country. “Everyday, you will hear in the news of AFP-initiated operations against NPA units. They are on the run and
strategically defeated and our objective is to take the battle to their hide-outs so that we can finally finish them off as directed by the President,” said Malaya. He said that military operations are on-going in Abra, Northern Samar, the Bicol region and other areas with more on the planning stages. “These operations are initiated by the military to totally wipe them out and we will see more of these in the coming months, rain or shine,” he said.

Malaya said that the targets set by the AFP to their field units have resulted in increased number of armed encounters between the security forces and the insurgents, as well as with terrorist organizations across the country.
“Key to the success of our operations are the information provided by the public. The intelligence value of these tips
cannot be underestimated. Maraming salamat sa ating mga kababayan sa kanayunan,” he added. With the military winning the battle against the New People’s Army, Malaya urged all the remaining members of the NPA to take advantage of the Amnesty Program of the Marcos, Jr. Administration. “Bumaba na kayo sa mga bundok, mag-surrender na kayo, avail of the amnesty program para makasama n’yo na mga pamilya n’yo,” he said.

In the last week, a member of the New People’s Army (NPA) was killed and another one was wounded during a clash
Wednesday in upland Osmeña village in Las Navas, Northern Samar. Acting on tips from a civilian about the presence of armed men, the soldiers found the location of the NPA members, ensuing a 20- minute firefight. The rebels retreated, leaving behind one slain and one wounded member, along with two M16 rifles and personal belongings. The Army identified the slain rebel as Adel Cabides, alias Hipolito, and the wounded NPA fighter as Jessie Robinacio, alias Tadok, who received first aid treatment from the Army. In Pilar, Abra, Philippine Army soldiers encountered around 15 members of the Kilusang Larangang Gerilya-North Abra of the Ilocos Cordillera Regional Committee of the New People’s Army which resulted in a firefight.

The group was first monitored lurking in the tri-boundaries of Abra-Kalinga-Apayao. In the Bicol Region, the
commanding officer of the Regional Operational Command, Bicol Regional Party Committee (BRPC), and a member of the Executive Committee National Operational Command of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) was arrested. He had several standing warrants of arrest for murder and direct assault with frustrated murder. The Philippine National Police identified him as Reynaldo Togado Hugo, 61. For his part, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the military has set deadlines for its ground units to dismantle the remaining weakened NPA guerilla fronts, vertical units, regional party committees, and sub-regional committees.

“Halos everyday ay nagkakaroon po tayo ng mga armed encounters – not just between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the members of the New People’s Army but also with the local terrorist groups. So, we launched an expansive and intensive military operations against all of these threat groups,” he added. “And once the AFP
successfully ends the communist insurgency, it can consolidate all its forces to solely external defense,” he said.

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