Opinion: CPP-NPA days are truly numbered

Opinion piece posted to the Manila Times (Jul 16, 2021): CPP-NPA days are truly numbered (By Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr.)

 
Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr.

DAYS after Nolven and Kieth Absalon were killed by the Communists Party of the Philippines-New people's Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA- NDFP) terrorists in Masbate City, another landmining incident occurred in Samar. The landmines killed unarmed soldiers and auxiliaries, hence non-combatants. The poor guys were simply getting some lumber to improve their patrol base when they were attacked along the trail. It came after Marco Valbuena, the CPP spokesman, apologized for accidentally killing the Absalon cousins. Really? What about now? What good is an apology if after saying it, you will attack more civilians? Sincerity. This was the reason why the government ended peace talks with Joma and the NDFP. We can never trust these commies, that is why we need to exterminate them.

In fact, last Saturday, another anti-personnel mine was detonated in Barangay Rizal, Dimasalang, Masbate, while government troops were passing through the area. This incident resulted in the wounding of an innocent 18-year-old female bystander while three other soldiers were also wounded.

Going over the number of surrenderees from January 1 to July 1 this year in the Southern Luzon Command area of responsibility (SolCom AOR) alone, 159 regular NPA members have already surrendered. Taking hints from these developments where regular members were surrendering, 378 members of the Milisyang Bayan (MB) and Sangay sa Partido sa Lokalidad (SPL) and 81 members of the Underground Mass Organization (UGMO) also surrendered. These are the lucky ones. For those who insisted on fighting, 21 of them were killed while 31 were apprehended.

Significantly, the surrenderees revealed information about their former organization. In fact, they revealed an arms cache containing an M-1919 Cal. 30 machine gun, a Colt M16 rifle, another pistol, and an anti-personnel mine. Operating troops immediately acted to recover these war materiel. This was followed by discovery of another cache which yielded an M60 machine gun, one M203 grenade launcher and other rifle accessories. All of these were in General Nakar, Quezon, where the remaining forces of the main regional guerrilla unit, Southern Tagalog regional party committee (MRGU, STRPC) have decided to hide to avoid our forces. Meanwhile, just recently, surrenderees also revealed another arms cache in Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro, that resulted also in the recovery of its content that include another M60 machine gun, two anti-personnel mines, and four M16A1 rifles.

All in all, in one week's time, the NPA lost 10 assorted firearms that include three machine guns and three anti-personnel mines.

Last week, two regular NPA members surrendered in Buenavista and Lopez, both in Quezon province, while a member of their Milisyang Bayan surrendered in Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro, bringing along with him one Cal. 45 pistol and several components necessary for assembly of anti-personnel mine.

In the Bicol Region, several personalities have also surrendered. These include two members of Milisyang Bayan with two short firearms, five members of Platoon 3 of L1, KP4, Bicol regional party committee (BRPC). They brought along with them three firearms and six Molotov incendiary bombs. This was followed by the surrender of three former Centro de Gravedad members of L1, KP5, BRPC with four firearms in Albay.

On the other hand, an encounter occurred in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, that resulted in the death of one female rebel and recovery of one shotgun and an anti-personnel mine. In addition, several encounters also transpired in the province of Masbate that resulted in the recovery of one M16 rifle, a Cal.45 pistol and another anti-personnel mine.

Back in Masbate, another suspect in the landmining attacks, including the one that killed Kieth Absalon, identified as Mariel Suson, was captured when a warrant of arrest for a murder case was served by law enforcement units. Mariel Suson is the daughter of Rogelio Suson @Manong of the NPA's Platoon 1, L2 KP4, BRPC and a member of Gabriela as well as a key member of the provincial White Area committee of Masbate. Last Monday, Jovan Suson, a brother of Mariel, was arrested during a pursuit operation against the group of NPA who detonated another anti-personnel mine in Cawayan, Masbate.

It appears now that the CPP-NPA-NDFP in Bicol and Quezon are really crumbling. Meantime, Cristina Palabay of Karapatan has been bothering the CHR to prevent me from retiring? First, they want me out, now they want me to continue to stay in the service, preventing me from retiring peacefully.

Genelyn Dichoso @Gemma, the former secretary general of Karapatan-Quezon, has revealed to us several things about the CPP-NPA in Quezon and Calabarzon area. In her sworn affidavits, she detailed the link of Karapatan to the NPA. She revealed that former Karapatan-Quezon members during their stint, were very active in providing support to the armed groups. She stated that they were tasked to monitor the activities of government security forces, protect the NPA members when arrested or besieged and provide bail bonds for the arrested NPA members. Those members, she said, also participated in a series of meetings conducted in the Red Area by CPP-NPA personalities, especially in threshing out support issues from the White Area. These members even coordinated support from local officials in terms of goods, groceries, transportation and even cash. This scheme is happening all over the country and all throughout the country.

With the recent arrest of the members of terrorist group CPP-NPA, fact- finding missions as they say led by these front organizations will surely follow to find any excuses in defense of their members.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/16/opinion/columns/cpp-npa-days-are-truly-numbered/1807156