CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Aug. 17 (PIA) - "It is the role of government to protect and provide security to people harrased by New People's Army (NPA). Although they instill fear so that they can extort money, they still cannot win if we unite and stand brave against them."
This was the statement of 4th Infantry Division (4ID) Commander MGen. Andres C. Centino during the recent Talakayan sa PIA, as he cited the campaigns being done by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to end local communist armed conflict in regions 10 and 13 despite the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
The NPA is the armed group of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). According to Centino, the movement began in the early 1970s and reached its peak around 1988 where 26,000 armed rebels were recorded. Since then, the AFP have been battling the NPA for 50 years.
"This group has spread all over the country, fighting the government and the AFP and staging violent activities like attacking our base camp and burning down pieces of equipment of various businesses that would not cooperate with them," MGen. Centino said.
4th Infantry Division, Philippine Army Commander Major General Andres Centino shares the thrust of the division under his leadership during Talakayan sa PIA. (VPSBautista/PIA10)
The military has its focused operations against this armed group that had been terrorizing the country for decades.
However, he admitted that the armed group continuously recruits members targetting the youth. "It is true, that they [NPAs] still have their recruitment; this sustains their activities. They are targeting the youth especially those in schools or the countrysides. They take advantage of their curiosity and idealism as part of the strategies in recruiting," Centino added.
Also, one factor that also sustains their activities is the extortion done to businessmen or politicians.
"CPP is using the NPA to instill fear and extort money to be used in their operations. They call this as revolutionary taxation but in reality this is extortion. This sustains their activities since they use the extorted money to buy their food and replace their firearms, ammunition, and explosives they lost during encounters or those confiscated during our focused military operations," he said.
Despite the armed group's effort to increase and recruit more, the AFP is conducting focused military operations successfully, thus weakening their strength.
"For the past 10 years, we have successfully decreased their strength. From their peak of 26,000 rebels, they are now down to 4,000 rebels and that they have already plateaued for the past 10 years," Centino maintained.
Both recruitment and extortion of the NPA are being addressed by the AFP aimed at eliminating the armed terrorists.
"We are addressing this by having engagements with various stakeholders, both the schools and business establishments. We explain to them their tactics in both recruitment and extortion. If we stop their source of funds and support together with the focused military operation to reduce the armed group, we believe that we can address this problem ... If they no longer have funds to buy their food, firearms, ammunition, and explosives, they will stop what they are doing," Centino explained.
"To our brothers and sisters who remain in the countrysides, you no longer have reasons to pursue your activities. The issues that you have been raising against the government had been addressed already. You cannot see any abuses committed by the security forces anymore. The government had reached out to the far-flung areas. We already have roads, infrastructure projects, and schools. Services had been delivered and we have seen the programs of other agencies that had reached all the deprived sectors," MGen. Centino concluded. (JAKAraña/PIA10)
The military has its focused operations against this armed group that had been terrorizing the country for decades.
However, he admitted that the armed group continuously recruits members targetting the youth. "It is true, that they [NPAs] still have their recruitment; this sustains their activities. They are targeting the youth especially those in schools or the countrysides. They take advantage of their curiosity and idealism as part of the strategies in recruiting," Centino added.
Also, one factor that also sustains their activities is the extortion done to businessmen or politicians.
"CPP is using the NPA to instill fear and extort money to be used in their operations. They call this as revolutionary taxation but in reality this is extortion. This sustains their activities since they use the extorted money to buy their food and replace their firearms, ammunition, and explosives they lost during encounters or those confiscated during our focused military operations," he said.
Despite the armed group's effort to increase and recruit more, the AFP is conducting focused military operations successfully, thus weakening their strength.
"For the past 10 years, we have successfully decreased their strength. From their peak of 26,000 rebels, they are now down to 4,000 rebels and that they have already plateaued for the past 10 years," Centino maintained.
Both recruitment and extortion of the NPA are being addressed by the AFP aimed at eliminating the armed terrorists.
"We are addressing this by having engagements with various stakeholders, both the schools and business establishments. We explain to them their tactics in both recruitment and extortion. If we stop their source of funds and support together with the focused military operation to reduce the armed group, we believe that we can address this problem ... If they no longer have funds to buy their food, firearms, ammunition, and explosives, they will stop what they are doing," Centino explained.
"To our brothers and sisters who remain in the countrysides, you no longer have reasons to pursue your activities. The issues that you have been raising against the government had been addressed already. You cannot see any abuses committed by the security forces anymore. The government had reached out to the far-flung areas. We already have roads, infrastructure projects, and schools. Services had been delivered and we have seen the programs of other agencies that had reached all the deprived sectors," MGen. Centino concluded. (JAKAraña/PIA10)
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