AFP says rebel movement suffers huge losses in July

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 1): AFP says rebel movement suffers huge losses in July
 
The Armed Forces said Thursday the New People's Army sustained big losses in the field last July.

Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala, AFP public affairs office chief, said last month 94 NPA rebels were neutralized, 29 of whom were killed in legitimate combat operations; 12 captured while 53 surrendered.

Among those neutralized were the high-ranking NPA leaders in separate joint AFP and Philippine National Police operations in Sorsogon, Davao del Sur, and Samar.

On top of the list is the arrested NPA leader in Davao City.

Loida Magpatoc is known as an NPA “regional committee secretary” and among the PNP’s most wanted.

Zagala added the encounter in Juban, Sorsogon early in July also left eight NPAs dead, including Frankie Soriano, also known as Greg Banares and rebel spokesman in the Bicol.

The NPAs also suffered losses in firearms, where they lost 51 in July alone.

The recent encounter in Camiling, Tarlac not only left six communist rebels dead and one captured, they were also set back by nine seized high-powered firearms.

“Notable also was the fact that these focused military operations were undertaken with a keen respect for human rights and observance of the principles of the International Humanitarian Law and rule of law,” AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Domingo J. Tutaan said.

“During the encounter with the armed group in Camiling, Tarlac, a member of the NPA armed group was wounded in the firefight and was immediately evacuated to Camp Aquino Station Hospital for medical treatment,” he added.

However, the AFP also incurred losses in the month of July, with six soldiers killed and 23 wounded in armed engagements with the NPA.

Despite these developments in its tactical operations, the AFP maintains the focus of IPSP "Bayanihan" is on the normalization of insurgency-influenced areas.

The AFP is not just into statistics, but more so for the improvement of peace and security situation in the provinces.

Furthermore, the numbers do not represent the complete picture and miss out on some intangibles like demoralization in their ranks, unaccounted death of wounded rebels, and those who have gone absence without leave from the organization.

The frequent tip-offs received by the intelligence community from residents also manifest the collective will of the people to put a stop on the violence perpetrated by the NPAs and the further degradation of their mass base support.

With local communities rejecting the presence of communist rebels in their area, the AFP is expected to continue its intensified internal peace and security operations against the rebel group in the last half of 2013.

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