Opinion: Losing support

Opinion piece posted to the Manila Standard (Aug 23, 2021): Losing support (By Charlie V. Manalo)

"These people should just return to the fold of the law."

Last week, the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division engaged the New People’s Army in Dolores, Eastern Samar in a fierce gunbattle that lasted 16 hours resulting in the killing of at least 19 communist rebels while the government side registered no casualty.

As far as I recall, this is the single biggest loss the NPAs had suffered in recent years., which 8th ID successfully launched after they managed to infiltrate the NPA hideout located in the jungles of Dolores town.

According to Major Gen. Pio Dinoso III, commander of the 8th ID, the NPA hideout, situated three kilometers away from the nearest community in Barangay Osmena, encompasses a massive portion of the jungle: 200 meters long and around 60 to 80 meters wide.

But how exactly did they do it?

Aside from using high-tech equipment including their drones, Dinoso said their operation was a result of a “whole of nation” approach, largely crediting their “tipsters,” adding there were “one to two” informants who tipped the military about an NPA camp being built in the middle of the jungle.

The civilian participation in pinpointing the location of the NPA camp was confirmed by no less than Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone as he extended his congratulatory message for the successful operation.

“I would like to thank the military and the civilian population for a very successful operation against the insurgents. had it not been for the close cooperation between the military and the local population, the campaign against the communists would not have been successful,” said Evardone.

“I hope that this kind of close collaboration will continue so that we can attain peace and development in our province and country,” he added.

It’s quite ironic for the NPAs to be betrayed by tipsters or informants coming from the masses, given the claim they draw their strength from the masses. By being tipped by the masses themselves, it would only show the revolution, If it is still a revolution, being waged by the Left, is fast losing support.

Aggravating matters for the Left is that this happened in Eastern Samar, a former stronghold of the underground Left, having taken advantage of the economic situation of the province. Eastern Samar is considered one of the poorest provinces in the country.

And this grim development for the underground Left is attested by no less than a squad leader from the beleaguered NPA formation in Dolores, Eastern Samar.

In his social media post, Evardone said that squad Leader Norly Abadiano Pacimos, “who goes by the nom de guerre Good,” 35 years old, leader of Squad Tres, reportedly surrendered to the authorities with the help of concerned citizens of Barangay Gap-ang last Saturday.

“Accordingly, he decided to surrender to authorities because the masses already stopped supporting them and the government forces are becoming very strong,” Evardone’s post read.

“Sumuko ako kasi hindi ko na kaya at wala ng masa na tutulong sa amin bukod pa sa lumalakas na pwersa ng gobyerno. Kaya nanawagan ako sa mga kasamahan kong NPA na bumaba na at sumuko dahil wala tayong laban sa gobyerno (I surrendered because I cannot take it anymore and the masses have stopped extending help to us, aside from the fact the government forces are getting stronger. Thus, I appeal to my comrades in the NPA to come down and surrender as we don't stand a chance against the government),” Pacimos was quoted saying.

The underground Left has no one to blame but themselves as they continue to lose support from the masses they were supposed to serve and from where they are supposed to draw their strength.

Recent developments show they are resorting to gangsterism and banditry. Retired Army General Antonio Parlade even alleged they have resorted to kidnapping children of indigenous people to use them for propaganda purposes in the aim of raising funds.

A few months ago, I went with my friend to a town in Pampanga to attend the wake of his uncle. My jaws dropped when he informed me that his brother had to pay the NPAs operating in the area P50 thousand just so he could be allowed to construct their house there. Actually, he said the rebel group was asking for P100 thousand, but they “successfully” negotiated to reduce it by half.

Successfully negotiated? What for? They were just building a house, nothing else. What’s with the money for? For protection? From whom? From them? That is plain extortion – gangsterism.

In my column a couple of months ago, I also cited two instances wherein the rebel group attacked government forces trying to deliver relief goods to people.

In April last year, at the height of the pandemic, two soldiers were killed when a group of NPA attacked an aid distribution center in Eastern Samar, seizing the relief goods intended for the province's residents.

Last November, a group of NPA tried to hijack relief goods intended for the victims of Typhoon Ulysses in Quezon. Fortunately, the Army was able to foil the attack.

Imagine the NPAs trying to rob relief goods intended for the people who were affected by the pandemic in Eastern Samar and by Typhoon Ulysses in Quezon? And yet they expect the masses to still extend their support to them?

The cause of the revolution they are waging is lost. There are no more ends or goals to justify their means. They are no different from what they have described as enemies of the people, if not even worse.

Evardone could never sum it up more aptly when he said that the insurgency “has cost so many lives of our own brothers and sisters and contributed to the underdevelopment of our province and country.”

With nothing good resulting from the armed struggle they are waging, Evardone is strongly appealing that they lay down their arms and return to the fold of the law.

“I would also like to reiterate my appeal to the other members of the NPA to surrender to the government so that they can be given all the benefits and live a normal life with their families. let's stop this bloody fighting already,” said Evardone.

https://manilastandard.net/opinion/columns/naked-thought-by-charlie-v-manalo/362998/losing-support.html