Troops continue to pursue rebels despite peace pact

From the Daily Tribune (Sep 18): Troops continue to pursue rebels despite peace pact

Despite the government’s declared unilateral ceasefire with communist insurgents, state security forces yesterday confessed that they are still in “active defense” mode against the rebels.

Members of the Philippine Army’s 5th Infantry Division (5ID) here at Camp Melchor de la Cruz told The Tribune that they remain to be vigilant as they are wary of the infiltration activities done by operatives of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in the hinterlands of Northern Luzon.

Combatants from 5ID, who begged for anonymity, shared that they still monitor the rebels’ “propaganda work” in the provinces of Isabela, Cagayan, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao and Benguet.

“We remain vigilant for possible noise that (the NPAs) might do when we carry out our peace and development activities, our Bayanihan operations,” a soldier told The Tribune at the sidelines of President Duterte’s visit to the 5ID “Start Troopers” here.

Relatively, the so-called Oplan Bayanihan was the counterinsurgency program of Duterte’s predecessor which was and remains to be heavily criticized by the CPP-NPA and its sympathizers.

Ironically, though, “peace and development” efforts are supervised by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) whose incumbent chief, Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, is a known ally of the leftist movement. As matter of fact, her appointment to the Duterte Cabinet was lobbied by the CPP-NPA’s negotiating arm, the National Democratic Front.

The soldiers whose were conversing with The Tribune refrained to opine on how they view Taguiwalo’s post, saying however, that they will continue to support her “as long as (her post) will be beneficial to the public and not to the NPA movement.”

The “Star Troopers,” however, bragged that since both the CPP and the Duterte administration declared separate ceasefires, about 20 NPA combatants already reverted to the state leaving behind their communist aspirations.

As a matter of fact, the 5ID presented to the members of the press 30 turned-over and confiscated firearms from the rebels. These include long rifles and locally made handguns or paltik.

Also, apart from the CPP-NPA rebels, the 5ID is still in active offensive mode against a communist splinter group, the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA).

The CPLA, the troopers claim, is engaged in extortion and robbery activities. The lesser-known leftist armed group was founded by late Conrado Balweg, a former priest-turned-rebel during martial law.

Furthermore, three battalions from the 5ID were pulled out and were deployed in Sulu as part of the administration’s fight against terror group Abu Sayyaf.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/troops-continue-to-pursue-rebels-despite-peace-pact