ILOILO City – As the 50th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Dec. 26 draws near, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Region 6 is bracing for an escalation of New People’s Army (NPA) hostilities. “We know the rebels’ plans. We have enough men to fight them,” said Lieutenant Colonel Sisenando Magbalot Jr., commander of the Philippine Army’s 61st Infantry Battalion (61IB).
The NPA is the armed wing of the CPP.
According to Magbalot, far-flung Army detachments would be deployed with additional troops.
He thanked the public for continuously giving the Army information about the rebels.
Sunday’s 61IB’s success in repelling rebels from the hinterland barangays of Trangka in Maasin, Iloilo and Canawillian in Janiuay town was due to the public’s help, stressed Magbalot.
The CPP-NPA recently announced it would be observing a unilateral ceasefire beginning 12:01 a.m. of Dec. 24 to 11:59 p.m. of Dec. 26 and from 12:01 a.m. of Dec. 31 to 11:59 p.m. of Jan. 1, 2019.
AFP public affairs office chief Colonel Noel Detoyato, however, said the ceasefire was self-serving.
This will only give the rebels a chance to celebrate their anniversary, he said.
“(We will not reciprocate) because ‘yung ceasefire na ‘yan, sila lang ang makikinabang dahil magsi-celebrate sila ng 50 years of atrocities and deceit,” said Detoyato.
Instead of declaring a truce, the AFP will be on full alert this holiday season.
Detoyato also clarified that there are more NPAs surrendering than encounters with the rebel group, thanks to the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) program.
E-CLIP is one of the flagship programs of the Duterte administration. It provides social equity to former members of the CPP-NPA to reintegrate them into mainstream society.
For his part, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Eduardo Año said the temporary ceasefire declaration of the rebels is “meaningless” and simply for propaganda purposes.
“Ito po ay isang malaking kalokohan. Huwag na nilang gamiting dahilan ang Kapaskuhan sa pagkukunwari nila na magtitigil-putukan gayong alam naman nating magpapalakas lang sila ng puwersa,” Año said yesterday.
Similar to the Defense department, the DILG is not recommending a holiday truce.
“Taun-taon na lang ay nagdedeklara sila ng tigil-putukan at pinagbibigyan sila ng pamahalaan alang-alang sa diwa ng Kapaskuhan. Sa puntong ito, huwag na nating sakyan ang mga palabas ng grupong ito,” said Año, a former Armed Forces chief of staff./PN
