The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today denounced the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for its continued betrayal of national sovereignty and its mounting crimes against the Filipino people as the US-controlled armed forces marks its 87th founding anniversary.

According to reports compiled by Ang Bayan, the CPP news organ, at least 47,017 people across the country became victims of human rights violations perpetrated by the AFP and Philippine National Police since Ferdinand Marcos Jr assumed power on July 1 (or an average of 288 victims per day) up to December 10. There were 379 cases of human rights violations.

During this period, 45 individuals were extrajudicially killed by state agents in the course of counterinsurgency operations. There were three victims of torture and one abduction every week on average. Every day, 126 fell victim to harassment, threats and intimidation. More than 37,000 were forcefully evacuated and dislocated due to intense combat operations of the AFP in the countrysides.

“There is nothing for the Filipino people to celebrate during the AFP’s anniversary. They are despised and hated by the broad masses for their gross rights violations and armed abuses, and for serving their US masters in suppressing the people’s cause for national freedom!” CPP Chief Information Officer Marco Valbuena said.

Hundreds of billions of pesos of people’s money are being squandered by the AFP in military operations, Valbuena pointed out. “Much of these billions of pesos go straight to the pocket of corrupt officers of the AFP, whose generals end up becoming multimillionaires and later appointed to juicy positions in the government and government corporations to hide stash away their wealth.”

“To justify its demand for vast amounts of funds, the AFP makes the ludicrous claim that there are now only five NPA guerrilla fronts across the country,” said Valbuena. “Yet, the AFP continues to carry out combat operations across the country, in at least 40 provinces during the past six months.”

According to the CPP, intense military operations are ongoing in Abra, Kalinga, Isabela, Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Tarlac, Bulacan, Rizal, Zambales, Quezon, Batangas, Mindoro, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Albay, Masbate, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, across the Panay island, Northern Samar, East Samar, Samar, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, the Davao provinces, Sultan Kudarat and others.

“The AFP’s armed suppression is most intense in areas where there are foreign-owned mining operations, expansion of plantations, debt-induced infrastructure projects including dams and roads, and other big business operations that are being opposed by local communities because these will permanently take away their land and destroy the natural resource on which they rely upon,” Valbuena said.

“On top of these crimes, the AFP continues to bow to the orders of the US military, including the recent declared plan of the AFP to allow the US to construct military bases within five more of its camps,” added Valbuena. “Meanwhile, Chinese military forces continue to transgress into the West Philippine Sea, with impunity,”

“The AFP has not learned from its almost nine decades that until they serve the interests of the Filipino people and continue to suppress their aspirations for nationalism and democracy, they cannot gain the support and trust of the Filipino masses,” Valbuena said.

“Binabati namin ang isa sa pinakapapet, berdugo at korap na armadong pwersa sa Asia-Pacific sa anibersaryo nito!” he ended. (CPP Information Bureau)