AFP chief: NPA fighters down to 'over 1,500'

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 15, 2024): AFP chief: NPA fighters down to 'over 1,500' (By Priam Nepomuceno)

AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. (PNA photo by Priam Nepomuceno)

MANILA – Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said on Monday the remaining number of active New People's Army (NPA) insurgents are now "a little over 1,500".

"Yung manpower, dun sa presentation po natin (during the Command Conference), ang estimate is just now a little over 1,500 (per the presentation, NPA manpower is estimated a little over 1,500)," Brawner said in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, shortly after the first command conference with military officials this year.

This is significantly lower than the estimated 25,000 active NPA fighters from the late 1980s up to early 1990s, Brawner said.

Asked if the AFP is capable of ending the insurgency threat within the year, he said the military "will try to do that".

Weakened guerilla fronts down to 11

In the same event, the AFP chief said the New People's Army (NPA) guerilla fronts are down to 11, highligthing the military's significant accomplishments against the insurgents and local terrorists in 2023.

"However, we would like to point out that even if we have already decreased the number of guerilla fronts, there are still NPA formations that are out here and what they are trying to do now is trying to, they are trying to recover the areas that they have lost, their supporters and the communities supporting their cause," he added.

Brawner also said military commanders were also given a new set of targets in order to totally defeat the remaining NPA forces.

He added that this mission is very important as total defeat of the NPA and those of other local terrorists will allow the AFP to shift to "territorial defense".

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. earlier said while the NPA has “zero active guerilla fronts,” there is a need to continue the counterinsurgency efforts to enhance the country’s internal security.

Continued focused military operations also resulted in the neutralization of 67 high-value individuals who belong to communist and local terrorist groups, the AFP added.

In 2023, the military also successfully neutralized 1,399 members of communist and local terrorist groups.

It has also seized 1,751 firearms through capture, confiscation, recovery, or surrender.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1216935