The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) desperately employed several gimmicks and concocted lies to make it appear that the revolutionary movement is already being decimated. They also used these to pocket funds from the regime’s E-CLIP program. Part of this is the fake surrender of state agents as “members” of the New People’s Army (NPA), and several fake encounters.

Fake ­sur­ren­der

The NPA-Negros vehemently condemned the 3rd ID for staging the fake surrender of 310 armed members of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Bongcayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) last September 8. This gimmick is extremely absurd as those who purportedly surrendered their firearms were subsequently promised by Duterte to be issued weapons and a war tank after undergoing a 45-day training as elements of the Community Defense Unit. This a clear example of capitulation and collaboration.

The RPA-ABB is notorious for serving as a force multiplier of the AFP in implementing its counter-insurgency campaign in the Negros Island since the 1990s. These armed mercenaries are involved in various criminal and anti-social activies, and are coddled and armed by despotic landlords and capitalists in grabbing farmlands of poor farmers. Among their most recent crimes is the massacre of nine farmers in Sagay in October 2018.

Also among those exposed were the arrest by PNP operatives of soldier Joselito Novelo Naag in Pasig City last September who was deceitfully presented as an official of the NPA-Bicol with a P100,000 bounty; and the fake surrender of Jasmen Acevedo along with other members of his bandit group to the 36th IB as members of the NPA in Surigao del Sur on September 4.

Fake encounter

“There has been no encounter between the NPA and 79th IB.” This was the rebuttal of the NPA-Negros to the 303rd IBde’s that several NPA members were purportedly arrested during an encounter at Sitio Maitom, Old Poblacion, Escalante City, Negros Occidental on September 17.

This scheme desperately aims to sow fascist terror to sabotage the commemoration this month of the 34th anniversary of the Escalante Massacre, and force residents to participate in an anti-people “peace summit” which was scheduled on the same day. The 79th IB used the “encounter” to justify its operation and suppression campaign at Sitio Maitom, Barangay Old Poblacion which resulted in the forcible evacuation of 145 residents on September 17.

The NPA-Eastern Visayas also denied involvement in an encounter in Barangay Olera, Calbayog City, Samar last August 23 wherein 2Lt. Geroe Jade Nicor, Cpl. Joelito Canico and two other 43rd IB troopers were killed. It said that the troopers actually engaged with the armed goons of Calbayog City Mayor Ronald Aquino. It added that to NPA unit was operating in the area during the encounter.