AFP chief Gapay: CPP in disarray

December 25, 2020

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Gilbert Gapay on Thursday said the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) is in disarray following subsequent political and tactical setbacks ahead of its anniversary this year.

"The CPP-NPA and their front organizations have nothing to celebrate. They failed on the ground, got exposed in Congress, and were unmasked abroad for their fake advocacies," Gapay said.

He said tactical accomplishments brought by relentless internal security operations resulted in the death, capture, and surrender of communist terrorists on the ground, as well as the further erosion of their mass base with underground and party members continuing to withdraw their support.

Aside from their mass base and main fighting units, the communist group leadership also continues to suffer setbacks with the neutralization of CPP ranking personalities, he said.

Gapay identified the high ranking rebels as Julius Giron, Chairman of CPP-NPA, and Head of the National Military Commission; Agaton Topacio, Staff National Military Commission, CPP; Eugenia Magpantay-Topacio, Head National Education Department; Teresita Lapuz Naul, Secretary, Regional White Area Committee, North Central Mindanao Regional Committee; and Alvin Luque, Spokesperson of Komisyong Mindanao.

Tactical accomplishments also resulted in the overall decline in NPA-initiated atrocities against civilians from 113 in 2019 to 78 so far this year.

"The CPP-NPA is in a political and tactical crisis given the high impact accomplishments of our troops both on the ground and at the General Headquarters,” the AFP chief said.

“Paired that with the highly developed capability and equipment of our fighting units, there is nowhere else to go but down for the enemy," Gapay added.

AFP said it has already dismantled the 10 so-called guerilla fronts of the CPP-NPA which are located in Isabela province and Bicol region in Luzon; Leyte and Samar in Visayas; and various provinces in Western, Southern, and Eastern Mindanao.

"The complete victory we aspire against the CPP-NPA-NDF is near and we are confident that by 2022, this decades-old senseless conflict will be brought to an end," said Gapay.

The CPP will celebrate its 52nd founding anniversary on December 26. Ella Dionisio/DMS