An army official criticized the New People’s Army (NPA) on Thursday, April 16, saying they are ‘no longer significant’ in their activities compared to previous years.
Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Anudin, executive officer of the Army’s 94th Infantry Battalion, told reporters on the sidelines of a peace symposium that the NPA in their jurisdiction no longer possesses mass bases or guerrilla fronts, nor any offensive capabilities.
“In fact, wala na silang prente. So yung mga lumalakad nalang talaga dyan, yung mga nag e-extort at tsaka yung pumapatay. So hindi na sila masasabi nating ganon ka significant na gumawa ng mga offensive na mga activities gaya ng ginagawa nila noon,” he said.
The army unit is currently operating in central Negros and five villages in Kabankalan City: Hilamonan, Tan-awan, Orong, Oringao, and Camingawan.
Anudin also claimed that the rebels are recruiting to build up their numbers and influence for their plan of resurgence. However, he emphasized that the battalion continues to monitor their movement, to prevent them from “expanding their operation.”
He also hit the NPA for their so-called “revolutionary justice” regarding land-grabbing, referring to a 72-year-old former public servant, Rodulfo Fajardo, from Isabela town, saying that, while this allegation is still under investigation, it “cannot justify what they did.”
