Army eyes 81 N. Samar villages be NPA-free by end of May

From the Philippine News Agency (May 20, 2022): Army eyes 81 N. Samar villages be NPA-free by end of May (By Sarwell Meniano)

ANTI-NPA. Residents of Las Navas, Northern Samar join a rally on May 19, 2022 condemning the New People's Army (NPA). The support from communities has raised the confidence of the Philippine Army to clear some Northern Samar villages from the influence of the communist terrorist group. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Army)

The Philippine Army is optimistic to clear by the end of May some 81 remote villages in Northern Samar from the infiltration of the New People’s Army (NPA), an official said on Friday.

Lt. Col. Joemar Buban, commander of the Philippine Army’s 20th Infantry Battalion, said hundreds of NPA supporters have surrendered to government forces this year and joined the peace and development efforts.

“We are on track in our clearing efforts since the communist terrorist group has been losing support from these communities. We still have to further validate before issuing the declaration,” Buban said in a phone interview.

These far-flung villages are in the towns of Las Navas, Catubig, Mapanas, Gamay, Lapinig, Palapag, and Laoang.

“Cleared means that all supporters in a village have already surrendered. Sightings are still expected since they will attempt to return, but we have soldiers and trained Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit in the area to neutralize them,” Buban told the Philippine News Agency.

Citing accounts of former rebels who recently surrendered, the official said there are only 30 active NPA fighters roaming around in these seven Northern Samar towns.

Buban said the NPA has been trying to project that they are strong by using their supporters in extortion activities outside of their hometowns and planting anti-personnel mines.

“The NPA resorts to use of banned explosives since they have no capability to face soldiers in an armed encounter. You will notice that recent encounters only last for few minutes since NPA fighters are outnumbered,” he added.

Northern Samar is considered the hotbed of the communist terrorist group due to its thick forest and poor road networks.

The NPA organization has been attempting to control some remote areas in Northern Samar since it is one of their fund sources for their armed struggle, according to Buban.

The army official estimated that the terrorist group has been raising PHP1.9 million monthly from the province through extortion from farmers, some businessmen, and government project contractors.

The high incidence of poverty in Northern Samar makes people in upland communities vulnerable to the persuasion of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

The Anti-Terrorism Council also formally designated the NDF as a terrorist organization on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and inseparable part” of the CPP-NPA that was created in April 1973.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1174930