By CESAR JOLITO III
A spokesperson of the Apolinario Gatmaitan Command of the New People’s Army (NPA) has rejected recent statements from the government’s counterinsurgency body claiming that communist insurgent forces in Negros have been “totally defeated,” insisting instead that the armed movement remains active and rooted in local social conditions.
In a statement, Ka Maoche Legislador, speaking for the NPA’s Negros Island regional operational command, dismissed the assessment of the government’s counterinsurgency campaign led by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) as “premature,” arguing that similar declarations of the group’s collapse have been made repeatedly over several decades.
The spokesperson claimed that continued armed encounters in parts of Negros, including reported incidents in Toboso and Cauayan towns, contradict assertions that the insurgency has been dismantled.
The statement also argued that the persistence of armed activity reflects unresolved socioeconomic issues in rural communities.
He further reiterated long-standing positions associated with the insurgent movement, alleging that land inequality, poor labor conditions and limited access to education continue to fuel recruitment and support for the armed struggle in some areas of the island.
The statement emphasized that the group remains under the leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines and continues to pursue what it describes as mass organizing, agrarian reform efforts, and armed resistance.
It also questioned the government’s security posture in Negros, pointing to the sustained deployment of military units in the region.
The spokesperson suggested that the presence of security forces is evidence that the government still considers the island a priority area for counterinsurgency operations.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines and NTF-ELCAC have repeatedly maintained in previous public statements that government operations have significantly weakened communist guerrilla fronts nationwide, including in Negros, though isolated incidents of violence and armed encounters continue to be reported.
Authorities have consistently urged remaining armed combatants to surrender and participate in government reintegration programs, while also emphasizing development initiatives aimed at addressing poverty and improving access to basic services in conflict-affected communities.
As of press time, the NPA claim could not be independently verified, and government forces have not issued a specific response to the latest statement./CCJ, WDJ