ILOILO City – With the midterm elections approaching in May 2025, Major General Marion Sison, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division (ID) of the Philippine Army, has issued a stern warning to potential candidates not to engage with the New People’s Army (NPA).
The Army, in collaboration with the Commission on Elections (Comelec), is campaigning for honest and peaceful elections as the period for filing Certificates of Candidacy (COC) looms from this October 1 to 8.
Sison said any candidate found collaborating with the NPA by paying fees for “permit to campaign” or “permit to win” would not be successful in the elections.
“That is a kiss of death,” he declared, warning of the grave consequences of such alliances.
Sison believes that people have grown more discerning and will reject candidates who tolerate or support the NPA’s activities.
Pointing out the waning influence of the NPA, he said their time has passed and their ideology is no longer credible.
Data from the 3ID suggests that the NPA’s presence on Panay Island is diminishing, with only 23 active members remaining under the Central Panay Front.
Sison said this group is considered weakened, particularly after recent military operations, including a successful encounter in Barangay Aglonok, Calinog, which resulted in the deaths of five NPA members.
The Army aims to dismantle the Central Panay Front by the end of September 2024.
Other guerrilla fronts under 3ID’s jurisdiction, including those in Western and Central Visayas, have been successfully dismantled over the past years, highlighting the continuous efforts to neutralize insurgent activities in the region. These were the following:
* SPP East – dismantled last September 24, 2019
* Southern Panay Front – dismantled on June 21, 2024
* North Negros Front – dismantled on April 6, 2021
* South East Front – dismantled on April 6, 201
* Bohol Party Committee – dismantled on June 27, 2022
*Central Negros I – dismantled on October 9, 2023
* Central Negros 2 – dismantled on December 21, 2022
* South West Front – dismantled on March 25, 2024/PN
