As it celebrates its 50th anniversary, the NPA of Mt. Province under the Leonardo Pacsi Command (LPC) launched three successful offensives against the joint forces of the AFP and PNP who were conducting combat operations. On March 29, the said unit of the NPA harassed the troops of the PNP-Regional Mobile Force (RMF) on the forest areas of Bangnin Proper, Bauko, Mt. Province. The NPA launched the second harassment on the PNP troops together with the reinforcing troops of 54th IB Phil Army on March 31 on the same area of Bauko. And again on April 2, the Red fighters ambushed the same joint forces of the 54th IBPA and the PNP-Special Action Forces (SAF) at the boundary of Bauko and Tadian mountains. All in all, the 54th IBPA obtained casualties of 1 killedin-action (KIA) and 3 wounded-in-action (WIA) while the PNP-RMF and PNP-SAF of Cordillera suffered from 2 KIA and 9 WIA.

The LPC launched the series of punitive actions against the Phil Army and PNP to render justice on their violent enforcement of the anti-people and fraudulent environmental protection policy of the DENR and US-Duterte Regime through coercing the people of Mt. Province and Cordillera to stop their small but necessary logging and small mining. Contrary to what the PNP and Phil Army brag that these military operations are conducted to protect the people against NPA attacks, grave and excessive infringement by the fascist troops on the democratic rights and self-determination of the Igorot people are prevalent. The national minority people of Cordillera who are long tending their forests and ancestral lands have the right to cut wood for their day to day needs and for building houses and necessary structures for the communities. Small mining is likewise a traditional livelihood of the Igorot people to augment the gross scarcity of their income on tilling their menial land and to cope up with the utter neglect of the reactionary government on delivering basic social services on them. Ever since this repressive DENR policy was implemented, the small loggers and miners are suffering much from the incessant and intensifying militarization on their communities and ancestral territories, coercion and intimidation , bombings on their small mining portals, extortion and confiscation of their chainsaws and boards. Meanwhile, big loggers are allowed by the DENR. The big mining companies ang hydropower projects are likewise continuously and massively destroying the environment, livelihood and plundering the ancestral lands of the people. Thus, the presence of the AFP and PNP forces on the countrysides and their military operations ARE NOT for the security, peace and order of the communities, but for the protection of the big mining business, logging and energy projects that grab the ancestral lands of the national minority people in the region.

Because of the resolution and actions of the NPA that truly defend their rights and interests, the NPA is unremittingly and sincerely cherished by the people of Mt. Province, Cordillera and of the whole oppressed Filipino people. The punitive measures delivered by the NPA to the AFP and PNP were victorious because of the strong support of the people. This affirms the NPA’s invincibility and could never be crushed by the enemy. Fifty years and beyod, it would continue on reaping victories on defending the rights, self-determination and democracy of the national minority of Cordillera and liberation of the whole Filipino people. Thus, the people of Mt. Province and Cordillera exults with the NPA on celebrating its 50th anniversary.