A New People’s Army (NPA)-North Quezon unit actively defended against 80th IB troops operating in Barangay Tanauan, Real, Quezon on April 16. The people’s army encountered troopers from the 80th IB unit who serve as protectors of the destructive giant Real Wind Energy Project (RWEP) of ACEN Corporation of Ayala Corporation.

The 80th IB is operating in Barangay Tanauan, one of the 10 barangays covered by the giant RWEP, to protect the interests of big comprador bourgeoisie and bureaucrat-capitalists who will profit from it. The said project will cover 5,670 hectares of land that will displace thousands of residents and farmers of Real.

The NPA unit reported that the firefight lasted only five minutes, contrary to the 80th IB’s claim that the battle lasted 20 minutes. The Red fighters safely withdrew.

The rumors disseminated by the soldiers of Red fighter casualties and blood traces in the battle are also false. “[After the battle], war-crazed [80th IB soldiers] even wasted bullets with their indiscriminate shooting,” NPA-North Quezon spokesperson Ka Eliza Dela Guerra said.

She condemend the 80th IB for squandering funds for indiscriminate shooting. “While the broad masses endure hunger due to severe poverty, the US-Marcos regime squanders the nation’s treasury for large and prolonged FMOs (focused military operations) instead of allocating it to at least alleviate the hunger suffered by many of our people,” Ka Eliza further said.

Ka Eliza emphasized that amid the 80th IB’s fascist attacks in behalf of the ruling classes, the NPA-Quezon will continue to struggle to defend the interests of the ordinary people they devastate and oppress. “Protect, care for, and fight for the interests of the people against the foreign plunderers of our resources and their local ruling class accomplices and the mercenary AFP and PNP until the people’s democratic revolution triumphs,” she called on the people’s army.