KILLED IN ENCOUNTER. Two New People’s Army members die in an encounter with government forces under the Army's 29th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Baleguian, Jabonga, Agusan del Norte on Dec. 2020. Government authorities killed an estimated 155 NPA rebels in 2020. (Photo courtesy of 29IB)
MANILA – Aside from the military, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has also dealt a serious blow to the communist terrorist groups (CTGs) through operations that resulted in the death of an estimated 155 New People's Army (NPA) members and arrest of 433 others in 2020.
This was revealed by PNP directorate for operations chief, Major Gen. Alfred Corpuz, in press briefing at PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Monday.
He said 155 NPA members killed during PNP operations last year were much higher than the 15 deaths recorded in 2019.
Corpuz also said the 433 arrested NPA rebels are far greater than the 28 arrests logged in 2019.
The PNP said the NPA surrenderers have also significantly increased from 405 in 2019 to 3,155 last year.
Meanwhile, the number of confiscated or surrendered NPA firearms dropped from 1,699 in 2019 to only 897 in 2020.
Corpuz also reported 202 NPA-initiated violent incidents in 2020 that are lower compared to 231 posted in 2019.
He added that in 2020, the communist terrorists were able to conduct 113 offensives against government forces compared to 128 in 2019.
In the 113 offensives launched against government forces last year, the NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), killed 22 government security troops compared to the 40 recorded in 2019.
NPA’s extortion activities decreased from 35 in 2019 to 23 last year while mass actions reduced from 678 to 538. (with reports from Priam F. Nepomuceno/PNA)
