Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (File photo)
MANILA – The move of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) to deploy squads or "partisan units" to counter government security forces has justified the terrorist tag issued by the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) against the group, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Sunday.
"Your pronouncement and action is a confirmation of the ATC's designation of the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization," Lorenzana said in a statement, referring to CPP founding chair Jose Maria "Joma" Sison's claim that they have basis to conduct armed partisan operations against the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) and allied units who are allegedly targeting "unarmed activists and civilians in urban areas".
"It is so easy for Mr. Sison to order from his safe and comfortable haven in the Netherlands the return of his city armed terrorists he calls 'partisan units," he added.
Lorenzana labeled the "partisan units" that Sison is referring to as “terrorist NPA assassins” who are notorious for targeting government officials and unarmed non-combatant civilians in the past.
He added that "special partisan operation" is murder by assassination or euphemism for extrajudicial killing and like NPA Special Partisan Units (SPARUs) in the past, these assassins will fail their mission.
"But like the NPA SPARUs of old, these terrorists face certain death and their blood will be in the hands of Mr. Sison," he added.
Lorenzana dared Sison to bring on his assassins, saying the military is now more prepared to defeat them unlike in the heydays of communist rebels in the 1980s.
"Mr. Sison, you are either hallucinating about your revolution succeeding or you are merely whistling in the dark while living an abundant and luxurious life abroad. The cadres you have fooled to join the NPA to be extortionists, arsonists, rapists, and murderers have met their tragic deaths fighting government (troops)," Lorenzana said.
The military has noted more NPA rebels surrender and take advantage of the government peace incentives after realizing that they are being exploited by Sison and his cohorts.
As a result of these mass surrenders, the AFP and PNP units are having an easier time neutralizing top NPA cadres and guerilla fronts.
"The end of your destructive 52 years of misadventure that caused untold misery to our people is near, and it is inevitable and irreversible. It is time for you to face reality," Lorenzana said.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. (PNA)
