AFP: NPA ‘running out of cadres,’ will go back to peace talks soon

From GMA News (Mar 29): AFP: NPA ‘running out of cadres,’ will go back to peace talks soon

The New People's Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, is running out of fighters and will have to go back to negotiations, the spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines said Sunday, the 46th anniversary of the NPA.

Brig. Gen. Joselito Kakilala said that development programs in the provinces and continued operations against the NPA have isolated the rebel group from potential recruits.

According to the AFP's Eastern Mindanao Command last week, there has been a "significant decrease" in the number of NPA fighters in its area, where around 53 percent of the estimated 3,000 members are.

"Na-degrade na 'yung capability nila, tapos na-degrade na 'yung influence sa mass base and they ran out of mass bases, ano. Expected na they will be isolated from the mass bases, that’s their eventual demise," he said, adding the military can "easily hit them in the mountains without collateral damage among civilian communities."

Kakilala said that this, along with government development projects like bridges, schools, and roads, will make the NPA "irrelevant" by addressing economic issues that contribute to the insurgency.

"We are isolating them from the communities. Eventually they will run out of cadres," he said, adding one of the objectives of the military's Internal Peace and Security Plan-Bayanihan is to get the CPP-NPA-National Democratic Front to abandon its armed revolution and to go back to peace negotiations.

"We are optimistic on that. There is no way out but to talk peace with our government. Probably they will start the ball running right now, but probably the next administration will pursue that angle. But if they won't talk peace, they will really be irrelevant because development will come in... They will become irrelevant na," he said.

In January, NDFP chief political consultant Jose Maria Sison hinted that peace negotiations might resume this year.

"Kung magpakatino ang rehimeng Aquino at OPAPP [Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process], posible pang matapos ang comprehensive agreement on economic reforms at agreement on truce and cooperation bago matapos ang term ni Aquino," he said then.

Sison said a "special team" composed of representatives from both parties has been working on the agenda of fresh peace talks since last September.

In April last year, the Philippine government ended its peace negotiations with the NDFP after a 22-month impasse, citing the lack of "sincerity and political will" on the part of the party and its affiliate groups – the NDF and the New People's Army.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/461142/news/nation/afp-npa-running-out-of-cadres-will-go-back-to-peace-talks-soon