NPA vows to intensify attacks

From the Manila Bulletin (Dec 19): NPA vows to intensify attacks

The New People’s Army (NPA) on Tuesday said it would intensify attacks against the government following the declaration of the group as a terrorist by the Philippine Government and the recent extension of martial law to the end of 2018.

Rigoberto Sanchez, NPA spokesperson of the Southern Mindanao Regional Operations Command, criticized the Duterte administration for its war on drugs and alleged human rights abuses.

According to Sanchez, President Duterte’s administration has led to the killing of activists and the displacement of thousands in Southern Mindanao alone.

“Duterte has already exemplified his deep proclivity to rights abuse with the killing of nearly 15,000 mostly poor drug suspects nationwide; and in Southern Mindanao, the killing of 57 activists and members of legal democratic organizations, the aerial bombings affecting 7,600 individuals in military operations, displacing 13,800 farmers and lumads (indigenous people),” Sanchez said.

This developed as the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Western Mindanao Command (AFP-WestMinCom) reported that seven NPAs surrendered to its forces in the past week.

According to AFP-WestMinCom Spokesperson Army Capt. Jo-Ann Petinglay, three members of the Platoon Samsung, Guerilla Front 73, Far South Mindanao Region, under a certain Billy, yielded Sunday to the troops of the First Mechanized Infantry Battalion under Lt. Col. Lauro Oliveros.

Petinglay identified those who surrendered as Teddy Ayunan, Telada Maguil, and Sandino Julan. They turned in a Garand rifle, a caliber-.357 Smith and Wesson, and an M16 rifle when they surrendered in Barangay Kamasi, Ampatuan, Maguindanao at 7 am last December 17.

Last Thursday, four other members of the Guerilla Front 73, also surrendered to Oliveros and turned over an anti-tank Improvised Explosive Device (IED) weighing 30 kilograms, an Elisco M16 rifle, a Colt M16 rifle, and a homemade UZI Sub-Machine Gun.

Those who surrendered were Ariel Biluwal, Oting Ginta, Michael Malik, and Jane Gantangan.

“This brings to 110 the total number of NPA terrorists who have surrendered to the AFP-WestMinCom troops,” Joint Task Force Central Commander Maj Gen Arnel Dela Vega said.

Of this number, 83 were members of the Guerilla Front 73, Dela Vega said.

.According to Sanchez, the extension of martial law and Duterte’s policies were “feeding the coffers of investors in the guise of Mindanao infrastructure projects.”

“The extended martial law in Mindanao is not simply a diabolical deed to strengthen Duterte’s militarist rule; it is meant to insulate the glaring cronyism and bureaucrat capitalism intensified by Duterte’s own family that is gaining wealth with the planned pricey infrastructure projects in the island,” Sanchez said.

These include the construction of Samal Island – Davao City Connector Bridge, the Agusan River Basin and Tagum – Libuganon River Basin, the P218-billion Mindanao Railway System and the Central Mindanao Airport, he said.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/12/19/npavows-to-intensify-attacks/