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PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines
CPP hails banner year of NPA victories, calls for further intensification of people’s war
March 29, 2004
The Communist Party of the Philippines today congratulated the New People's Army for a banner year of military victories in battle against government forces and called for further intensification and advances in the people’s war.
In a statement marking the 35th anniversary of the NPA today, CPP spokesperson Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal congratulated the NPA for “brillant victories in advancing the armed struggle during the past year” and for record achievements in other tasks of the NPA. Even as he called for a further intensification of the people's war, Rosal expressed optimism that the coming year will even surpass achievements in the past year.
Rosal cited that the “main targets” of NPA tactical offensives are the “most notorious units” of the Armed Forces of the Philippines which are considered a scourge to the masses.
The CPP spokesperson said that the masses clamor for the punishment of AFP units responsible for committing innumerable military abuses and the worst human rights violations. For one, he pinpointed the Philippine Army’s 204th brigade stationed in Mindoro, which has been tagged as responsible for a number of brutal murders, including that of Edel Garcellana, Eddie Gumanoy, Juvy Magsino, Leima Fortu among many others.
Rosal also said that the intensification of offensives to intensify revolutionary struggles responds to the worsening socio-economic crisis of the ruling system and grave human rights abuses in the countryside “as a result of the Arroyo regime's all-out war of terror in the name of terrorism.”
Rosal said that Arroyo’s all-out war has victimized hundreds of thousands of people in the countryside, citing cases of forced evacuations, “salvagings,” illegal arrests and detention, torture, rape and other forms of abuse.
Rosal cited statistics saying that the NPA was able to launch more than one tactical offensive every week since July 2003. Rosal made special mention of the NPA in Mindanao which launched 100 tactical offensives in the past year, all of them successful. He said the NPA was able to seize “hundreds of firearms” from these offensives which will “arm several dozen platoons of Red fighters”.
Rosal said that the practically daily NPA tactical offensives the past few months have even surpassed the target of five per week.#
Reference:
Anne Buenaventura
Media Officer
Cellphone Number: +63910-240-3553
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