CPP/Ang Bayan: NPA thwarting Oplan Bayanihan in Central Negros

From Ang Bayan, the official news/propaganda organ of the CPP (Mar 7): NPA thwarting Oplan Bayanihan in Central Negros

The revolutionary movement in Central Negros belied claims made by the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division that it is on the verge of crushing the New People’s Army (NPA) in Negros. This, despite the hordes of troops from the Philippine Army’s 302nd and 303rd Infantry Brigade, Scout Rangers and the Philippine National Police (PNP) that have been sent to the area.

From 2012 to early 2013, the membership of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) grew by 40%. The number of NPA fighters also grew by 20-25%. A big number of activists has also been recruited due to the 35-40% growth in the mass base, said Ka JB Regalado, spokesperson of the Leonardo Panaligan Command (LPC) of the NPA Central Negros Front Operations Command.

The NPA under the LPC successfully launched military operations from December 2012 to early January 2013 against the Philippine Army, PNP, paramilitaries active in “counter-insurgency” operations, military intelligence assets and local counterrevolutionary bad elements.

In these military actions, the NPA was able to seize 12 firearms of various caliber—four M203 grenade launchers, a submachine gun, a carbine, a shotgun, two cal .45 pistols, a cal .38 pistol and a cal .357 revolver, magazines and ammunition. The NPA also confiscated military equipment like a handheld radio, a pair of night vision goggles and three cellphones.

The enemy suffered eleven dead in these firefights—four soldiers from the 11th IB, one from the PNP, a military asset of the 11th IB, two armed village watchmen and three elements of the Barangay Patrol Action Team (BPAT). At least eight enemy elements were wounded—two from the Philippine Army, two from the PNP and two local counterrevolutionary bad elements.

Regalado assailed the AFP’s mobilization under Oplan Bayanihan of a number of Social Democrats, Popular Democrats and clerico-fascists belonging to the Church and Military Action Group like Fr. Rolex Nueva and Jack Pamine. These elements have been actively peddling the line that the NPA should surrender to duly constituted authorities while turning a blind eye to widespread cases of human rights abuses committed by “Peace and Development Teams” of the military and police.

http://www.philippinerevolution.net/publications/ang_bayan/20130307/npa-thwarting-oplan-bayanihan-in-central-negros