Military urges vigilance as CPP celebrates 60th anniversary Wednesday

December 25, 2018

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is urging vigilance against the New People’s Army (NPA) while regional military field units are launching operations against insurgents who celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of the  Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Wednesday.

Col. Noel Detoyato, AFP Public Affairs Office chief, said: "The AFP advises the Filipino people to take extra caution and remain vigilant against attacks from the terrorist group, the Communist Party o the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) as part of their founding anniversary.”

”Our soldiers on the ground and at all levels of command will continue to monitor and conduct security operations against the CPP-NPA-NDF. We are ready to secure any community threatened by them specially during this season of Christmas celebration," added Detoyato.

CPP founding chair Jose Ma. Sison, ordered the NPAs to escalate attacks in protest over the extension of martial kaw in Mindanao.

7th Infantry Division  head Maj. Gen. Felimon Santos ordered all units in Bulacan, Pampanga, Zambales, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte to carry out proactive actions against the NPAs.

Lt. Col. Eugenio Julio Osias, 7th Infantry Division chief of civil-military operations, said two days ago, soldiers were able to derail an NPA plan to celebrate the CPP’s founding anniversary in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, by taking their new camp and seizing high powered firearms and food stored.

The NPA leadership have been trying to regain their former stronghold in Northern Luzon, specifically  in the provinces of the Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Region and Central Luzon.

In Mindanao, soldiers deployed to track down the NPAs who raided and overrun an Army patrol base in a remote village in Agusan del Sur and abducted two soldiers and 12 militia pursued insurgents in the jungles of Sibagat.

“There’s no engagement but the hunt is on and without letup,” Maj. Gen. Ronald Villanueva, commander of the Cagayan de Oro City-based 4th Infantry Division, said. DMS