SLAIN REBELS. Photo shows members of the New People's Army (NPA) killed when government forces engaged rebels in a firefight in Barangay Anas, Masbate City on June 8, 2021. The three were identified by former rebels in the province as communist terrorist group members. (Photo courtesy of 9ID)
LEGAZPI CITY – The Joint Task Force (JTF) Bicolandia is reminding the public to be wary of the propaganda and fabricated stories the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) is spreading to divert attention from its recent violent attack that killed civilians in Masbate.
Capt. John Paul Belleza, 9th Infantry Division (9ID) spokesperson, in a statement on Friday, said after receiving massive public condemnation for its terroristic attack that killed football player Kieth Absalon and his cousin, the communist terrorist group (CTG) is in panic mode as the incident exposed the group's true color: barbaric and inhuman.
"Lost of other alibi and bombarded with criticisms, they resorted to their usual strategy, to discredit the authorities and malign the people by distorting the truth," Belleza said.
The terrorists claimed that the reported clash with government troops in Barangay Anas, Masbate City last June 8 where three of their members were killed and 16 high-powered firearms were seized was not true, adding that the casualties were just civilians and not rebels.
However, the investigation revealed that the casualties were Antonio Poligrates a.k.a. Roman, secretary of Sangay ng Partido sa Lokalidad (SPL) and local finance officer of the New People's Army (NPA); and Ailyn Bulalacao and Ramon Brioso a.k.a. Tay, both newly-recruited NPA members in their locality. The three, who were killed during the encounter with the operating troops, were also identified by former rebels (FRs) in Masbate as CTG members.
Maj. Gen. Henry Robinson Jr., commander of JTF Bicolandia, said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) strongly adhere to the rules of engagements in consonance with the International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
He said that when cornered, the CTG tends to abandon and deny its members killed in armed encounters and identify them as civilians.
"Obviously, they had a hard time coming up with an interesting plot twist that is why it took them two days after the legitimate encounter to release a statement full of lies and deceit. Tayo pa ang aakusahan nilang lumalabag sa IHL samantalang sila ang walang hiyang lumalabag nito noon pa. Sa mga nakaraang operasyon natin may mga nakuha na tayong uniform ng Army sa kanilang mga hideouts na ginagamit nila kapag nagpapanggap silang mga sundalo at naglulunsad ng kanilang mga krimen para linlangin ang mga tao. (We are being accused that we violated the IHL while they are the ones who violated such. In the past operations, we were able to seize Army uniforms in their hideouts that were used to deceive the people when they commit crimes). They are trying to get away from this mess kaya binabago nila ang istorya (that's why they change the story)" Robinson added.
JTF Bicolandia called on the public to double-check information circulating on social media even as it lambasted the CTG for capitalizing on the emotions of the victims' families as well as the relatives of the casualties in the armed encounter.
"Once again, we assured the Bicolanos that together with the PNP, extensive joint operations will continue until all responsible for the terror acts are arrested to serve justice to the victims of CTG's atrocities," he added.
The task force encouraged the remaining members of the terrorist group to abandon the CTG that has been using them for its own selfish interests which, for the past five decades, only resulted in continuous bloodshed.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA)
