BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) is bracing for the 52nd anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Dec. 26 and the attacks that may come with it.
The CPP usually marks its anniversary with attacks against the police and military carried out by its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), said Police Colonel Romy Palgue, NOCPPO director.
He ordered police units across Negros Occidental to step up anti-insurgency operations in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Palgue also told residents of towns with insurgency problems to be wary of strangers as these could be rebels.
The NOCPPO director appeal to NPA insurgents, too, for a peaceful dialogue instead of resorting to violence.
On Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte said there will be no ceasefire between the government and communist rebels until the end of his term.
Duterte said the ceasefire with the rebels died along with the peace talks.
He also reiterated that he considers the members of the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives, as well as other progressive groups, as communists.
The CPP was formed by Prof. Jose Maria Sison on Dec. 26, 1968. It was designated as a terrorist group by current Philippine president and Sison’s former student, Rodrigo Duterte in December 2017.
The CPP has been fighting a guerrilla war against the State since its establishment. Although its ranks initially numbered around 500, the party grew quickly, supposedly due to the declaration and imposition of martial law by former president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos during his 21-year rule.
By the end of Marcos’ dictatorship, the number of combatants had expanded to include more than 10,000 fighters./PN
