The most recent tactical offensive launched by the New People’s Army (NPA) against the focused military operations (FMOs) by the fascist AFP forces of the terrorist and tyrant Marcos-Duterte puppet regime was the harassment set against one (1) column of the 54th IB and the 102nd IB in Barangay Mogao, Licuan Baay, Abra at 4 PM last November 4. And though the fascist army used high-powered and sophisticated armaments and airborne military weaponries, three (3) fascist AFP forces were killed in action (KIA). The fascist troops harassed by the NPA last November 4 were, in reality, the reactionary AFP forces in pursuit operations after the successful ambush launched by the NPA in Barangay Gacab, Malibcong, Abra last October 27.

But the fascist AFP together with the social and bourgeois media accused the NPA as “terrorists” and downgraded the November 4 victorious NPA tactical offensive by making use of what they called “the AFP relief operations for the earthquake victims in Barangay Gacab” as an excuse and a cover-up of the fascist AFP defeat. In fact, the successful NPA ambush in Barangay Gacab last October 27 targeted the 24th IB which is one of the three fascist AFP battalions that have been launching FMOs in the five municipalities of northern Abra. The victorious October 27 NPA ambush in Mount Basiwag, Barangay Gacab ensued to two (2) KIA and 2 WIA (wounded in action) on the side of the anti-people and the real terrorist AFP troops.

Another victorious TO by the NPA was the ambush against the 98th IB operating troops in the forest of Barangay Lenneng, Kabugao, Apayao last August 18. This triumphant NPA ambush led to the death of 2Lt. Nasser Dimalanes and PFC James S. Fontanilla Jr. In response, two (2) helicopters, two (2) Howitzers, two (2) Hermes-900 drones and a jet fighter were used by the fascist AFP to fire thousands of ammunitions and to drop 28 bombs from August 18 to August 21 in the forested areas between Barangay Lenneng, Kabugao and Barangay Katablangan, Conner, Apayao.

Earlier on July 9, the NPA harassed the 24th IB at Sitio Sap-al, Barangay Buneg, Lacub, Abra which resulted to one (1) KIA on the fascist army. And much previously on June 30, the people’s guerrilla army harassed the 51st IB at Barangay Katablangan, Conner, Apayao; and one (1) fascist soldier was killed in action.

In the aforementioned five (5) TOs by the NPA, there were a total of eleven (11) fatalities (9 KIA and 2 KIA) from the fascist and real terrorist AFP forces. While on the side of the people’s guerrilla Red fighters, there was not a single casualty. These TOs, though small, have diminished the determination of the fascist AFP and must be sustained by the NPA in order to continue weakening the morale of the reactionary AFP, the people’s enemy.

Last January 2022, Maj. Gen. Laurence E. Mina of the 5th ID declared to continue FMOs with five (5) battalions in the tri-boundary municipalities of the provinces of Abra, Apayao and Kalinga in order to end the local Communist armed conflict (ELCAC) by February 2023 in the three (3) Cordillera provinces. This fascist AFP declaration has been affirmed by Brig. Gen. Audrey L. Pasia, who succeeded Maj. Gen. Mina last September 5, 2022, as the current 5th ID CO. Brig. Gen. Pasia, who specializes in military intelligence, was the former commander of the 702nd IB of the 7th ID that still continues FMOs in the Ilocos provinces.

Actually, the main objective of the massive FMOs in the tri-boundary areas of Abra, Kalinga and Apayao is to terrorize the indigenous people who strongly oppose the construction of mines and the Build, Build, Build (BBB) dam projects of the Marcos-Duterte tyrannical regime to be constructed within the Gran Cordillera Mountain Range and in the main rivers of Apayao, Kalinga and Abra. Residential areas and agricultural lands will be submerged in several barangays of the four (4) northern municipalities of Abra, also four (4) towns of Apayao and five (5) municipalities of Kalinga (including the City of Tabuk). Of course, the building of dams is closely related with the construction of mines that shall surely affect the ancestral lands of the indigenous people in said 13 municipalities of the three (3) provinces. And the mining construction by foreign and local mining companies will surely expropriate the rich ancestral lands of the Cordillera people.

FMOs have been and are also being launched by the fascist AFP-PNP forces in the other provinces of the Cordillera such as Mountain Province, Ifugao and even Benguet because there are large mining and dam projects being planned to be constructed in these provinces. These FMOs led to ferocious battles (2 in Mountain Province and 4 in Ifugao) in 2021-2022 between the fascist AFP-PNP forces and NPA units wherein five (5) NPA cadres, who fought valiantly, were KIA and two (2) other Red fighters WIA. On the side of the people’s enemy, three (3) were killed and undetermined number wounded.

These colossal FMOs of the reactionary AFP-PNP under the joint command of the tyrant Marcos-Duterte fascist regime are undeniable acts of terrorism that continually heighten national oppression and exploitation of the Cordillera people. These continue to commit countless human rights violations with the aim to destroy the unity of the Cordillera people in their struggle to defend their ancestral lands against destructive mining and dam projects.

The NPA must, therefore, continue the launching of tactical offensives in order to fully support the Cordillera people to defend their basic rights and resources. This revolutionary duty of the NPA is not at all terrorism but to advance the indigenous people’s right to struggle for and achieve self-determination within the overall context of the Filipino people’s national democratic revolution that must be advanced through people’s war up to final victory for the attainment of the Filipino people’s democracy and a bright socialist future of Philippine society.

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