The Tubungan Raid is the NPA's Answer to the Ongoing Electoral Farce and the Deepening Crisis

Julian Paisano
Tagapagsalita
Coronacion "Waling-Waling" Chiva Command
NPA-Panay
June 17, 2004

Last June 15, 2004, at around one o'clock in the afternoon, a unit of the New People's Army attacked the police station and municipal hall of Tubungan, Iloilo and dis-armed its police force. Nine (9) high powered rifles including M-16s and M-14 and many other handguns accrued to the people's army arsenal. The attacking unit readily slipped away after occupying the poblacion for about half an hour.

Task Force Panay (TFP) erroneously ranged the combined attacking force from 50 to 100 Red Fighters coming allegedly from the Central Front, Southern Front and from Mindoro. Actually, only an enlarged platoon executed the dis-arming operation against a weak and complacent police squad of the Tubungan PNP, indicating the armed capacity of any platoon being developed in all areas of the various fronts of the NPA.

Various quarters were impressed by the precision, organization and discipline in the execution of the dis-arming operation, the avoidance of civilian casualty and the withdrawal. It took hours before reinforcements from TFP and the PNP arrived, them being fearful of encountering the blocking force of the NPA.

The Tubungan police force was targeted because of its longstanding record as a diehard counter-insurgency campaigner. In 1984 yet, it was instrumental in the killing of two NPAs in Baranggay Jolason. It was also involved in the death of two comrades in Baranggay Adgaw in 1987. This unit also raided a formation of the NPA in Baranggay Pinamacalan where it was able to seize some firearms of the retreating group in 1999. It also participated in bigger suppression campaigns within the town of Tubungan together with other state troopers, including the encirclement of a team of NPAs in Baranggay Tabiak in the year 2000. In the last incident, 4 comrades were killed.

In the Tubungan raid, the policemen had only their hands bound and were dis-armed. The revolutionary cause was explained to them and they were forewarned not to resist because the raiding unit was only after their firearms. The NPA strictly implemented the NPA regulation of "treating captives well" and a provision of Protocol II of the Geneva Convention subscribe to by the NDF. This conduct is far different from the atrocities and murders of captives, hors d'combat and mortal remains desecration by the reactionary military. Investigations of individual police culpability for previous crimes have yet to wind up and no individual case of blood debt had yet been resolved. Thus, in accordance with due process, no police officer, while temporarily detained, was arrested nor punished as yet.

The avoidance of civilian casualty was given first priority even in the face of immediate danger. The slight wounding of one civilian employee was a result of his being dragged into a crossfire because the chief of police chose to maneuver into the civilian's office while firing at the NPA. The municipal building suffered the hail of bullets because the police chief used the building as cover for his fire and maneuver. The NPA opted not to subdue this slight resistance because it might result in civilian casualties. Anyway, most of the police's firearms were already in the hands of the NPA.

We take responsibility for and ask for forbearance from the owners and drivers of the two vehicle requisitioned to transport the raiding unit to and from the target site. The NPA will find ways to compensate them for the inconvenience and risk to their property.

Maj. Marquez reluctantly admitted intelligence failure as the cause of the success of the assault but blamed the residents of Tubungan for being afraid of providing information about the movements of the guerilla force. Little did Marquez realize that hundreds of peasants and other folks of Tubungan and surrounding towns willingly provided support for the NPA concentration of force, training and intelligence, supplies, cover and concealment while on the way to attack the police station. Tens of thousands of people in Panay are now celebrating the people's army's victory.

Col. Fojas' intelligence efforts were also diverted by threats coming from the military's ranks itself. Factions of the AFP are intensely opposed to the Macapagal-Arroyo regime's power play via electoral fraud and riding on the popular anger sparked by the economic crisis. Also Major Marquez' group were engrossed with the campaign for their local favored candidates and harassing various legal progressive groups during the electoral campaign.

Frustrated because the TFP was unable to prevent the successful raid by the NPA, Col Fojas took to branding the NPA as bandits-the same branding favored by the Spanish and American colonialist during the Filipino's resistance war against these aggressors. But the fact stands that not a single centavo was ever missed by the police captives. The government's firearms were confiscated so as to lessen the suppressive capacity of the AFP/PNP as well as to strengthen the offensive capacity of the NPA to overthrow the oppressive and exploitative system and fight for the people's interest.

Fojas is much aware by now of the raging people's anger due to the drastic economic downturn and soaring expenses. The people's suffering are piling up brought about by the doubling of fares, soaring prices of prime commodities, farm inputs, prohibitive school expenses, rising unemployment (increasing by 14% this April). This is why the Macapagal-Arroyo regime relies primarily on the AFP and the PNP to suppress any rising of the people in the name of "stability"-for the Macapagal-Arroyo regime.

The railroading of the canvassing to ensure Gloria's future term and the struggle for power among the ruling factions makes the regime inutile and adds further to the impending collapse of the economy. This is the reason why more and more sectors of the broad masses of the people are participating in and supporting the people's war.

Long live the victorious dis-arming of the police force of Tubungan!!!

Long live the armed struggle that is increasingly participated by the people!!!