IT’S QUITE fitting that today is supposed to be “National Heroes Day” and we take time off to honor and show our gratitude to the real heroes – the men/women of the Philippine Armed Forces and the Philippines National Police, the defenders of freedom and the republic. Thank you for your service.
We then segue to what’s probably the final piece of the puzzle in achieving “peace in our lifetime.”
Of course, we are talking about what happened to one of the most elusive and romanticized leaders of this obsolete and irrelevant communist insurgency in the Philippine, Maria Concepcion Araneta Bocala a.k.a. “Concha., CPP-NPA-NDF first deputy secretary general of Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay (KR-P).
And this was what happened: three top leaders of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Panay, including Concha who was also the consultant of the National Democratic Front (NDF), were killed during a series of encounters in the hinterlands of Iloilo.
The 3rd Infantry Division’s Public Affairs Office (3DPAO) identified the slain rebels as Vicente Hinojales, regional secretary of Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay (KR-P); Bocala; and Vivian Torato Teodosio, secretary of the central front, KR-Panay.
Bocala had an outstanding bounty of P8 million due to various criminal charges. She was the widow of Reynaldo Bocala, also an NPA rebel and NDF peace consultant killed in 2021.
With these major and irreplaceable losses, does this mean that the CPP/NPA/NDF is on its final death throes not only in Panay Island but in the whole country as well?
Yes, without a doubt the end is near, much sooner than later for this more than five decades-old communist insurgency nonsense, particularly in the island of Panay.
Consider this: their demi-God Joma Sison is dead due to COVID-19; the Tiamzon couple were also dead; NDF Chairman Luis Jalandoni is a sickly octogenarian more concerned with maintenance medicine and adult diapers than running an insurgency, and meanwhile, CPP/NPA/NDF spokesman Marco Valbuena is a figment of their imagination.
So, the death of these top CPP/NPA/NDF leaders is the final straw in their demise. They’re now running around like a headless chickens. With their ideology no longer able to sustain them, they turned to banditry.
Just recently the AFP has declared the CPP/NPA/NDF’s Southern and Central Front totally dismantled and the results of that encounter reduced the CPP’s KR-Panay and NPA’s Regional Operations Command to insignificance.
By September’s end, the 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army aims to declare the entire Panay Island in a Stable Internal Peace and Security Stage (SIPSS), finally achieving an insurgency-free status for Panay Island.
According to Brigadier General Michael Samson, commander of the 301st Infantry Brigade, the provinces of Antique, Iloilo, and Capiz are currently in the conflict manageable stage (CMS), the final phase before achieving SIPSS status.
SIPSS includes the absence of significant conflict/atrocities from the CPP/NPA/NDF and a noticeable reduction in their strength and manpower.
Central Panay Front is already dismantled with the death of their top 3 leaders, leaving only some 20 sickly/starving leaderless NPA fighters.
With the relentless almost no let-up campaign of the AFP, they too will be eliminated. Their only chance is to avail themselves of various government programs, including the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) and Amnesty Program, offering financial and livelihood assistance to reintegrate them into society.
Indeed, we are finally winning, that is if we haven’t already won, this more than five-decade communist insurgency nonsense in Panay./PN
