Army claims NPA weakening in Sorsogon

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 27): Army claims NPA weakening in Sorsogon

The strength of the rebel group New People’s Army (NPA) in Sorsogon province is down to only 45 regular members with just 20 firearms, the Philippine Army said in a briefing during the City Peace and Order Council meeting on Tuesday at the City Function Hall.

Lt. Col. Beerjenson Aquino, commanding officer of the 31st Infantry Battalion based at Barangay Anog, Juban, said the NPA-Sorsogon’s Komite Probinsyal (KomProb) remains under the command of Andres Hubilla alias Ka Magno.

It is divided into two guerrilla fronts, the Larangan 1 and Larangan 2.

Larangan 1, under a certain Alias Omie/Omeng, has 23 full-time members with 13 firearms and covers the municipalities of Casiguran, Prieto-Diaz, Gubat, Bulusan, Barcelona, Sta. Magdalena and this city, Aquino said.

Larangan 2, meanwhile, has 19 regulars with merely seven firearms under Arnel Estiller alias Ariston/Mando and has jurisdiction over the towns of Juban, Magallanes, Bulan, Irosin, Matnog, Donsol, Pilar and Castilla.

He said the figures showed that the rebel’s force in the province continues to weaken.

Aquino said around 33 barangays are classified as “affected barangays” while 144, or 33 percent, of the 541 barangays in the province are considered as “threatened.”

Based on the military’s definition, a barangay is considered “affected” if the rebel group has already established a support organization in the area while a threatened barangay is one which the rebels have been frequently visiting but have not yet established a mass base, according to Major Romeo Jimenea, executive officer of the 31st IB.

According to Aquino, the local NPA command conducted several violent activities last year, including eight liquidations.

The Army commander also blamed the rebel group for another eight killings during the first two months of this year alone, including the shooting death of former police Senior Inspector Augurio Coranez in Bacon district.

As indicated in the report, the towns of Barcelona, Bulusan, Gubat, Casiguran and Magallanes had the most number of activities conducted by the rebels.

Aquino said the NPA might initiate some tactical moves to highlight its founding anniversary slated on March 29.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=739714