NPA units in Soccsksargen now weakened, decimated

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 10, 2020): NPA units in Soccsksargen now weakened, decimated (By Richelyn Gubalani)

DECIMATED. Noel Legaspi alias “Ka Efren” (center), former spokesperson of the New People’s Army-Far South Mindanao Regional Revolutionary Committee, says local rebel units are now decimated and continue to weaken due to the continuing government offensives and surrender of their leaders and cadres in the area in the last three years. Legaspi bared this in a press conference in General Santos City on Tuesday (Nov. 10, 2020). Also in photo are former NPA rebels -- Datu Ramon Bayaan (left), and “Ka Jason” -- who said they were recruited through the communist legal fronts. (Screengrab of press conference)

GENERAL SANTOS CITY – New People’s Army (NPA) units operating in parts of Region 12 (Soccsksargen) are reportedly now almost decimated due to the government’s intensified offensives and the series of surrenders of their leaders and cadres in the last three years.

In a press conference Tuesday, Noel Legaspi alias “Ka Efren,” former spokesperson of the NPA’s Far South Mindanao Regional Revolutionary Committee, said the remaining units of the still active guerilla fronts in the region have continued to weaken based on their monitoring.

He said this can be seen with the inability of the rebels to stage major tactical offensives and other related activities in the area.

Legaspi said the support from the NPA’s “mass bases” has also waned and attendance in its mobilizations and campaigns against the government has significantly decreased.

He cited as an example the International Human Rights Day rally here on Dec. 10 last year when the communist movement’s “legal fronts” only managed to mobilize at least 50 people, a huge drop from the 300 and above in the previous years.

“The biggest reason is the continuing surrender of their leaders and cadres. They realized that they were following a futile cause and eventually found hope with the government’s successful interventions in our communities, especially in the remote areas,” he said.

The exact figures are not immediately available but over 200 NPA rebels from parts of the region have surrendered and renewed their allegiance to the government since 2017 based on reports from Army and police units.

But Legaspi said the government still has a lot of work to do in terms of eliminating the influence of the NPA, especially in remote rural communities.

He said that aside from the military offensives, the government should continue bringing the necessary socio-economic services to the affected areas.

The former rebel leader, who surrendered in January 2018 after nearly 26 years in the communist terrorist organization, cited the convergence services being delivered by government agencies and local government units under the local task forces to end local communist armed conflict.

“The legal fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA are still here and we should intensify our efforts to counter them,” he said.

Legaspi specifically referred to the League of Filipino Students (LFS), Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), Gabriela, Anakpawis, Anakbayan, and other allied militant groups.

He said these groups are directly linked to the CPP-NPA and recruits cadres from among their members.

“I was actually recruited to join the CPP-NPA after I joined the LFS and eventually became the spokesperson of Bayan-Socsksargen,” he said.

These were backed by two other former rebels -- Datu Ramon Bayaan and “Ka Jason” – who joined the NPA through the legal fronts that operated in North Cotabato.

“That has been the strategy of the CPP-NPA. They enter our communities through their legal fronts, organize the people and eventually recruit them,” he added.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1121348