By CESAR JOLITO III
The National Democratic Front (NDF) – Negros has disputed recent claims by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) that the New People’s Army (NPA) in Negros has already been defeated, saying such statements fail to reflect the current situation of the armed movement on the island.
In a statement on Saturday, May 30, Ka Dionesio Magbuelas, spokesperson of the Romeo Nanta Command – South Central Negros Guerrilla Front, described government declarations that the NPA has been “dismantled” or “neutralized” as an “illusion,” despite a series of military operations that reportedly resulted in casualties among rebel forces.
Magbuelas acknowledged that recent encounters had caused losses within the NPA ranks but maintained that these were temporary setbacks and part of the continuing armed struggle.
He said the deaths of rebel fighters would not halt the movement, adding that fallen members serve as inspiration for new recruits.
The rebel spokesperson also challenged previous government claims that only a handful of NPA members remained on various guerrilla fronts in Negros, arguing that recent military reports of neutralized rebels contradicted those estimates.
According to Magbuelas, the continued conduct of tactical offensives by the NPA and the existence of guerrilla fronts in different areas of Negros indicate that the armed movement remains active despite sustained military operations.
He further criticized the government’s counterinsurgency programs, including the implementation of the National Action Plan for Unity, Peace and Development, claiming that intensified military presence in rural communities has led to alleged human rights violations.
Magbuelas said unresolved issues such as land reform, industrialization, poverty, and social inequality continue to drive people to join the armed struggle.
The AFP and NTF-ELCAC have repeatedly reported significant gains against insurgent groups in Negros through combat operations, arrests, surrenders, and the dismantling of guerrilla fronts as part of the government’s campaign to end the communist insurgency./CCJ, WDJ