AFP gains ‘strategic victory,’ CPP-NPA forces cut to 1,800

By Vince Lopez

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday said they have achieved “strategic victory” over the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) as the insurgents only have 1,800 members at present, compared to 24,000 during its peak in the 1980s.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Army is intensifying its efforts to locate more firearms stashed by the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) to prevent the communist rebels from recovering lost ground on Negros Island.

AFP spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar said during the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC)’s press conference that 400 of the remaining 1,800 NPA members have already been identified and were facing criminal charges.

He added that all active NPA rebels are currently the subject of “focused military operations.”

“They should think of getting back to their families and to the folds of the law,” Aguilar said.

He said some of the identified NPA fighters were holding key positions in the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF), a factor that must be considered, as they were the ones telling their comrades not to surrender or “waiting to be given graceful exit.”

Aguilar said over the past few months, more than 600 NPA members were either killed in combat operations or voluntarily surrendered to the government, further reducing the figure from more than 2,400 back in 2008.

“Because of that, we have reduced the number of guerilla fronts. When before there were five active guerilla fronts, this is now reduced to one, with the dismantling of two guerilla fronts, and weakening of two. That one active guerilla front is located, operating somewhere in the northern part of Samar,” Aguilar said.

He also said the military has focused its forces in the area to prevent and suppress violence that could be triggered by this guerilla front.

Aguilar said dismantling the politico-military structure of the CPP-NPANDF is the key objective of the AFP to achieve a total victory.