Over the past few days, the mercenary 3rd Infantry Division led by MGen. Arevalo has launched several attacks against the Negrosanons. These attacks are not achievements of the state’s counterrevolution now under the behest of the US-Marcos II regime, but evidence that the revolutionary movement is fervently advancing. To hide the truth, Arevalo and his fascist troops have unleashed their deceit and brutality that involve gross human rights violations in Negros.

Their most recent atrocities include: (1) second attempt at kidnapping a 3 year old child of an alleged NPA member along with harassment of the child’s guardians in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental on July 14, (2) abduction of farmer couple Gerald Ganti and Dalen Alipo-on in the same city and on the same date, (3) fake news of a captured communist rebel in Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental on July 19, (4) plan of an air strike on North Negros Natural Park and subsequently turning the area into a “no man’s land” also on July 19, and most recently, (5) the illegal arrest of farmer Ramonito Mahinay in Vallehermoso, Negros Oriental based on trumped-up charges, (6) and strafing of a hut killing farmer Pompeo Landisa and endangering four other farmers in Guihulngan City on July 20.

The AFP/PNP’s US-inspired dirty blend of heinous crimes and disinformation is their unwitting admission that their fixated drive to end the revolution has failed. While it is well established that military intelligence is an oxymoron, this recent spate of attacks is also part of their attempt to woo their commander-in-chief in line with the approaching State of the Nation Address to get in the illegitimate president’s good side.

Arevalo and the 3rd ID prides its bloody track record against hors de combats and defenseless civilians, including children. What the AFP treats as trophies are in fact victims. In pursuit of promotions and rewards, Arevalo and his cohorts profit off of (1) fake news and maliciously tagging ordinary civilians as NPA commanders and high ranking members of the CPP, (2) threatening, harassing, and red-tagging the masses to submit to their whims, (3) and recycling and planting the same firearms in different illegal arrests and fake encounters. The reactionary forces benefit from the people’s suffering. Meanwhile, the masses are left to bear the brunt of the socio-economic crisis as prices skyrocket, wages are depressed, and jobs are scarce. The US-Marcos II regime is effectively killing Negrosanons either through hunger or bullets.

It is therefore expected, though also naïve and illogical of Arevalo and the AFP, to declare the five guerilla fronts in Negros as either dismantled or weakened. In fact, the 3ID’s intensified militarization, barbaric actions, black propaganda and paranoia amidst the worsening conditions of the semi-colonial and semi-feudal ruling system have convinced the masses even more to support and join the ranks of the NPA. As long the AFP’s onslaught continues against the downtrodden in defense of the interests of their masters, their declarations will remain to be absurd and untrue. The state cannot make the revolution halt if every day they give the people more reasons to revolt.###