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Thursday, December 29, 2005
Communist rebels to step up attacks in 2006
By Edwin G. Espejo
SURIGAO DEL SUR -- The communist-led New People's Army (NPA) warned it would launch more attacks against government troops even as its leadership on Monday claimed they had scored significant victories during the last few months.
In a press conference held in Surigao del Sur, National Democratic Front (NDF) spokesman in Mindanao Jorge Madlos alias Ka Oris said the rebel group has increased its military capabilities and are poised to deal the Arroyo administration "more crippling blows."
The NDF is the political umbrella of the NPA and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
The warning came as the CPP observed its 37th founding anniversary on December 26.
Ka Oris told reporters that the NPAs in Mindanao were able to launch 182 "tactical offensives" in 2005, 104 of them during the last three months.
The most recent offensive was the December 20 ambush of a military jeep inside Tagum City public market where an Army captain and three other enlisted men were gunned down by NPA partisans.
Ka Oris also said they were able to confiscate 190 assorted firearms while losing only 14 during the same period.
A group of intellectuals led by University of the Philippines professor Jose Maria and disgruntled elements of the old Partido ng Komunista sa Pilipinas on December 26, 1968 in Tarlac founded the CPP.
Since then, CPP and its armed wing NPA have expanded their influence.
The rebel group is now operating at least 130 guerilla fronts nationwide, of which 38 are in Mindanao.
Before a crowd of over 2,000 supporters and visitors, Ka Oris said the rebel movement is now entering a new phase of the strategic defensive stage of its armed struggle.
Ka Oris, however, admitted that the Armed Forces of the Philippines still remain superior over the rebel band.
Meanwhile, Philippine Army's Southern Command chief Lieutenant General Edilberto Adan admitted that the government suffered several setbacks during the last few months.
But Adan belittled the capacity of the NPAs to engage the Armed Forces in a head on clash.
"Their so called tactical offensives have been going on," Adan told reporters during a visit in General Santos City Tuesday.
Likewise, Adan revealed that they are going to re-deploy their combat units to face the growing threat of the communist rebel movement.
Adan said they would be sending more troops to the Caraga and Davao regions where the NPAs have stepped up their attacks.
He placed the number of NPA armed regulars in Mindanao at 2,000 armed with high-powered firearms. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
(December 29, 2005 issue)
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