Like a house of cards, 3rd ID’s hackneyed propaganda spin on “collapsing” revolutionary movement shattered to pieces.

As Red fighters from the Mount Cansermon Command (MCC) carried out an ambush past 8:00 AM today against the Binalbagan Police personnel in the provincial road leading to the proper of Barangay Biao in the town of Binalbagan, Negros Occidental. This resulted in enemy casualties of 2 wounded-in-action.

The location of the ambush site is less than a kilometer from the AFP forward base in Sitio Elinita and few kilomoters from another Philippine Army troop position in SItio Bulwang.

This action points out to the heightened capacity of the MCC to covertly gather armed units and launch surprise offensive action in exterior lines or near barangay and town centers.

The aforesaid ambush was launched as an appropriate counter-offensive response as Philippine National Police (PNP) are being use in the Duterte regime’s counter-insurgency operations. This is the reason why they are considered as legitimate military target.

Moreover, this is the NPA’s response to the relentless monstrous Joint Enhanced Military and Police Operation (JEMPO) and focused military operation (FMO) that have been wrecking havoc on the rights, peaceful living and livelihood of the peasant masses and indigenous peoples in the countryside of Central Negros. Gross rights abuses and other horrible crimes were committed by state forces conducting joint AFP/PNP operations. One of these is the series of attacks launched by state forces in the so called Oplan Sauron that killed more than 20 innocent farmers in Guihulngan City, Canlaon City, Sta Catalina and Manjuyod, Negros Oriental and many were illegally detained based on trumped up charges.

The 303rd Brigade is set to launch another fresh wave of FMO in the hinterland villages of Binalbagan and Himamaylan this month.

The ambush is also the answer to the resounding cry of the people for justice for all the victims of state-sanctioned murders and extra-judicial killings against unarmed civilians and activists and hors de combat NPA fighters and unarmed and defenseless CPP cadres like what happened to Kerima Lorena “Ka Ella” Tariman, Marilyn “Ka Monet” Badayos, Floreta “Ka Kelly” Ceballos and many other revolutionaries.

Ka Ella was wounded, albeit not fatally, when she was captured by 79th IB soldiers after an encounter in Hacienda Raymunda, Brgy. Kapitan Ramon, Silay City last August 20, 2021. Being wounded and unarmed, she should have been accorded the status of hors de combat and given immediate medical attention. But she was mowed instead by automatic gunfire almost dismembering her fragile body.

Ka Monet was fast asleep, having contacted severe flu earlier, when SAF troops shot her dead without warning or provocation in San Pablo, Manapla on September 30, 2021. They then shamelessly declared to the media that she and her companions were killed in an encounter. Rusty pistols were planted as evidence.

Like what happened to Ka Oriz in Bukidnon, Ka Kelly was abducted by 94th IB in Kabankalan on December 9, 2021. She was then subsequently tortured and killed. Her body along with her driver were relocated several days later to a fake encounter site and presented as NPAs killed in an armed clash.

Contrary to the terroristic and vile practices of the reactionary military and police, the MCC units that conducted the ambush meticulously observed the norms of war as stipulated in the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, international conventions and other applicable standards.

Inspired by CPP’s call to intensify the people’s war amid deepening global and domestic social crisis, the MCC will launch more frequent tactical offensives against the fascist and bloodthirsty forces of the US-Duterte regime. ###