Friday, March 28, 2014

'Bayanihan' reducing insurgency in the Philippines

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 28): 'Bayanihan' reducing insurgency in the Philippines

The implementation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) "Bayanihan" has helped curb insurgency in the country.

Guided by the IPSP "Bayanihan", which advocates for a whole-of-nation approach in ending conflict, the Philippine Army was able to carry out focused military operations against the communist terrorists as well as peace and development initiatives all over the country.

The PA strongly condemns the various human rights violations committed by the NPA.

The NPAs are responsible for various crimes committed against the people, among which are ambuscades and improvised explosive device (IED) attacks, that harm not only soldiers but innocent civilians as well.

In the first quarter of 2014 alone, the PA recorded a total of four IED attacks that killed and wounded security forces and civilians.

Last March 2, soldiers from the 39th Infantry Battalion and civilian volunteers from the Philippine Red Cross and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council were wounded in an IED attack perpetrated by the NPA's Guerilla Front 51, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee.

In another incident on March 7, troops from the 69th Infantry Battalion were landmined by NPA rebels in Barangay Malabog, Paquibato District, Davao City.

Luckily, the Army troops survived the incident unscathed.

Seven soldiers were killed and eight others were wounded in another IED attack in Barangay Saboy, Matan-ao, Davao Del Sur on March 10.

The soldiers were in route to support the Matan-ao Police Station in Barangay Poblacion which was attacked early that day, wherein two policemen and two rebels were killed.

Another landmine incident occurred in Compostela Valley on March 12 that resulted in the death of one soldier, and the wounding of four others.

The soldiers were verifying reports of civilians regarding the presence of armed men in Barangay Panoraon when the NPAs detonated the landmine.

Just recently, two Army soldiers were killed when they were fired upon by NPA rebels in the boundaries of Barangay Binahian A and Barangay Cogorin, Ilaya, Lopez, Quezon on March 24.

The troops were on their way to a medical mission in Barangay Vegaflor, Lopez when they were fired upon by the rebels.

Four others were also wounded in the incident.

Meanwhile, elements of the 41st Infantry Battalion discovered a mass grave believed to be that of the NPAs in Barangay Dominglay, Licuan-Baay, Abra on March 7.

This indicates that the vicious cycle of internal purging in the NPA is continuing.

The PA also accounted various incidents of harassments, arson, and robbery against civilians.

The acts committed by the rebels speak volume of the NPA’s criminal nature with no traces of principled ideologues.

Forty five years of fighting and opposing the Philippine government only brought suffering instead of the ideal society the communists had been advocating.

Theirs is not a story of triumph in the struggle for liberation, freedom and democracy, but a tale of abuse, harassment, and exploitation against the very people they vowed to protect.

After 45 years, it is now high time for the NPAs to abandon the armed struggle and follow the path towards peace and development.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=630395

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