PRESS RELEASE Information Bureau Communist Party of the Philippines
Significant NPA victories in 2007, more and bigger victories eyed in 2008-CPP
December 27, 2007
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today said the New
People's Army (NPA) "achieved significant military victories the past
year, portending more and bigger successes in response to the Party's
anniversary call to accelerate advances in 2008."
"Based on our summary of still very partial reports received
from the field, clearly the revolutionary forces have gained
significant victories in waging guerrilla warfare. Foremost is the
defeat of the military campaigns launched by the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) this year to date," said CPP spokesperson Gregorio
"Ka Roger" Rosal.
Citing reports published in Ang Bayan, the CPP's news organ,
Rosal, the NPA was able to launch at least 95 "big and small" tactical
offensives nationwide this year. There are at least 200 more unreported
tactical offensives launched by the NPA especially in Mindanao. In
these military initiatives, the NPA was able to seize at least 327
weapons consisting mostly high-powered rifles, tens of thousands of
rounds of ammunition, and various military and communication equipment.
"These weapons are enough to arm at least three new companies of Red
fighters."
Rosal said that "We still have to account for more victories in
the tactical offensives of the NPA in many gerrrilla fronts, especially
in Mindanao, where there have been hundred of successful NPA tactical
offensives the last three years, 400 of which were launched in 2006
where government armed forces suffered 330 casualties and lost 300
weapons to the NPA."
Among the significant NPA victories this year, Rosal
particularly cited the raid at the Davao Penal Colony on April 7 that
yielded 108 assorted firearms "without the NPA firing a single shot."
He also cited the downing of a Philippine Air Force Huey Helicopter
last December 14 by the NPA in Tanay, Rizal which killed four soldiers
and wounded nine others.
"At least 204 government military, police and paramilitary
forces were killed and more than 149 other enemy forces were wounded in
these armed encounters. Nine government soldiers and CAFGU elements
were also captured in the field, held as prisoners-of-war and
subsequently released on humanitarian grounds," added Rosal.
"Revolutionary punishment was also meted out against certain
elements of AFP-directed death squads that are behind the extrajudicial
killings masterminded by Arroyo's national security officials," said
Rosal. "These measures were carried out by the NPA after painstaking
investigations and judicious observance of due process," said Rosal.
"Most significant, the NPA was able to defeat division-level,
brigade-size military campaigns of suppression launched in several
guerrilla fronts since January. In the Ilocos-Cordillera Region, the
attacking AFP were the ones who suffered casualties, numbering at least
33 from January to April. In the Northeast Mindanao Region, the 58th IB
lost the equivalent of a company due to casualties and also due to
demoralized troops that went on AWOL," revealed Rosal.
"Morale has been noticeably very low among junior officers and
rank and file soldiers of the AFP, principally because they could not
defeat an NPA that undeniably enjoys deep and widespread support among
the peasant masses and other advantages such as the element of
surprise, mastery of terrain and others," Rosal pointed out. "Moreover,
the AFP is badly demoralized because of the corruption, fascism and
terrorism of the Arroyo regime and its top military and security
officials."
Rosal laughed off claims made yesterday by Philippine Army
chief Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano that the AFP can put an end to the
revolutionary movement in "39 weeks," alluding to the 39th anniversary
of the CPP celebrated yesterday.
Rosal challenged General Yano to surrender all his medals and
accept dishonarable discharge by October 2008 as he will certainly be
proven wrong when his "39-week timetable" expires.
"How can the deeply factionalized, demoralized and inutile
government armed forces expect to defeat a solid, highly spirited and
battle-capable adversary in the NPA," asked Rosal. "How can the fascist
reactionaries expect to defeat the NPA when they are waging a brutal
and barbaric war that only incites more and more people to hate the AFP
and the regime that it serves. With the worsening poverty, oppression
and sufferings the masses of the people have been going through under
the rotten, puppet regime, more and more of them are taking up arms and
joining the NPA."
"The AFP could not even concentrate the bulk of its fighting
force on more than 10% of all NPA guerrilla fronts. They are
desperately stepping up the recruitment of paramilitary forces, but
with decreasing successes and increasing misgivings, especially as many
CAFGU members are reportedly being suspected of supporting the NPA,"
said Rosal. He cited the incident where five CAFGU elements were
massacred on June 28 by elements of the 29th IB in Las Nieves, Agusan
del Sur, after they were accused of assisting the NPA in the raid of
the 23rd IB detachment the day before.
"The New People's Army aims to achieve bigger victories in the
coming year in line with the CPP leadership's call to accelerate
advances," said Rosal. "We anticipate that the NPA will be able to
launch bigger and more frequent tactical offensives starting the first
quarter of 2008."
"All units of the NPA are challenged to surpass all victories of the past years," said Rosal.
Reference:
Marco Valbuena Media Officer Cellphone Numbers: 09179776392 :: 09282242061 E-mail:[email protected]
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