Significant NPA victories in 2007, more and bigger victories eyed in 2008
December 27, 2007
Los Angeles-- The revolutionary movement i n thePhilippines today said the New People's Army (NPA) "achieved significant military victories the past year, portending more and bigger successes in response to the Party's anniversary call to accelerate advances in 2008."
"Based on our summary of still very partial reports received from the field, clearly the revolutionary forces have gained significant victories in waging guerrilla warfare. Foremost is the defeat of the military campaigns launched by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) this year to date," said CPP spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal.
Citing reports published in Ang Bayan, the CPP's news organ, Rosal, the NPA was able to launch at least 95 "big and small" tactical offensives nationwide this year. There are at least 200 more unreported tactical offensives launched by the NPA especially in Mindanao. In these military initiatives, the NPA was able to seize at least 327 weapons consisting mostly high-powered rifles, tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition, and various military and communication equipment. "These weapons are enough to arm at least three new companies of Red fighters."
Rosal said that "We still have to account for more victories in the tactical offensives of the NPA in many guerilla fronts, especially in Mindanao, where there have been hundred of successful NPA tactical offensives the last three years, 400 of which were launched in 2006 where government armed forces suffered 330 casualties and lost 300 weapons to the NPA."
Among the significant NPA victories this year, Rosal particularly cited the raid at the Davao Penal Colony on April 7 that yielded 108 assorted firearms "without the NPA firing a single shot." He also cited the downing of a Philippine Air Force Huey Helicopter last December 14 by the NPA in Tanay, Rizal which killed four soldiers and wounded nine others.
"At least 204 government military, police and paramilitary forces were killed and more than 149 other enemy forces were wounded in these armed encounters. Nine government soldiers and CAFGU elements were also captured in the field, held as prisoners-of-war and subsequently released on humanitarian grounds," added Rosal.
"Revolutionary punishment was also meted out against certain elements of AFP-directed death squads that are behind the extrajudicial killings masterminded by Arroyo's national security officials," said Rosal. "These measures were carried out by the NPA after painstaking investigations and judicious observance of due process," said Rosal.
"Most significant, the NPA was able to defeat division-level, brigade-size military campaigns of suppression launched in several guerrilla fronts since January. In the Ilocos-Cordillera Region, the attacking AFP were the ones who suffered casualties, numbering at least 33 from January to April. In the Northeast Mindanao Region, the 58th IB lost the equivalent of a company due to casualties and also due to demoralized troops that went on AWOL," revealed Rosal.
"Morale has been noticeably very low among junior officers and rank and file soldiers of the AFP, principally because they could not defeat an NPA that undeniably enjoys deep and widespread support among the peasant masses and other advantages such as the element of surprise, mastery of terrain and others," Rosal pointed out. "Moreover, the AFP is badly demoralized because of the corruption, fascism and terrorism of the Arroyo regime and its top military and security officials."
Rosal laughed off claims made yesterday by Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano that the AFP can put an end to the revolutionary movement in "39 weeks," alluding to the 39th anniversary of the CPP celebrated yesterday.
Rosal challenged General Yano to surrender all his medals and accept dishonarable discharge by October 2008 as he will certainly be proven wrong when his "39-week timetable" expires.
"How can the deeply factionalized, demoralized and inutile government armed forces expect to defeat a solid, highly spirited and battle-capable adversary in the NPA," asked Rosal. "How can the fascist reactionaries expect to defeat the NPA when they are waging a brutal and barbaric war that only incites more and more people to hate the AFP and the regime that it serves. With the worsening poverty, oppression and sufferings the masses of the people have been going through under the rotten, puppet regime, more and more of them are taking up arms and joining the NPA."
"The AFP could not even concentrate the bulk of its fighting force on more than 10% of all NPA guerrilla fronts. They are desperately stepping up the recruitment of paramilitary forces, but with decreasing successes and increasing misgivings, especially as many CAFGU members are reportedly being suspected of supporting the NPA," said Rosal. He cited the incident where five CAFGU elements were massacred on June 28 by elements of the 29th IB in Las Nieves, Agusan del Sur, after they were accused of assisting the NPA in the raid of the 23rd IB detachment the day before.
"The New People's Army aims to achieve bigger victories in the coming year in line with the CPP leadership's call to accelerate advances," said Rosal. "We anticipate that the NPA will be able to launch bigger and more frequent tactical offensives starting the first quarter of 2008."
"All units of the NPA are challenged to surpass all victories of the past years," said Rosal.
Reference:
Marco Valbuena
Media Officer
Cellphone Numbers: 09179776392 :: 09282242061
E-mail:
cppmedia@gmail.com