(File photo)
MANILA – The recent attack by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) insurgents against soldiers in Northern Samar are part of their efforts to project strength through terror in a bid to force the government to return to the negotiating table.
"The violent actions of the CPP-NPA are expected. They are meant to strengthen the CPP’s hold on their dwindling and demoralized fighters and increase the pressure to the government to resume the peace talk according to their terms. They will not succeed in their underhanded scheme," said Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) acting spokesperson, Col. Medel Aguilar, in a message to reporters Wednesday.
This came after a soldier from the 20th Infantry Battalion was killed while five others were wounded after the NPAs detonated anti-personnel mines in the remote Osang village in Catubig, Northern Samar on Tuesday.
The fatality and injured soldiers were among the 24 troopers patrolling the vicinity belonging to the Community Support Program (CSP) team assigned to Osang and Nagoocan villages.
The CSP is a flagship program of the AFP used to clear communities of NPA infestation and to bring the government closer to the people through faster delivery of basic services.
The attack occurred just two weeks after the July 5 explosion that injured seven soldiers in Magsaysay village in Mapanas, Northern Samar.
Despite these attacks, Agular said the government is determined to pursue peace in the countryside with the help of the Filipino communities.
"With the Filipino community behind the government in its journey towards peace, the community support program, together with the localized peace engagements, will be pursued aggressively to involve the local government units, civil government agencies, non-government organizations, and the community themselves in addressing the root causes of insurgency," he added.
He added that the NPA's attacks aim to project strength in an apparent total disregard for International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
"That is what they want to project, strength, but what we see is their weakness. They resort to acts of terror with full disregard to IHL and everyone’s safety, including civilians," he added.
Aguilar assured that the military will continue intensifying operations against the communist rebels.
"As we file appropriate cases against them, we will also intensify our security operations in coordination with all stakeholders, the civilian communities, in particular, to avoid unnecessary loss and destruction of human lives," he added.
Also, Aguilar said the localized peace engagements being pushed by the government are more effective as it makes stakeholders find problems and formulate solutions in addressing the root causes of the insurgency.
The CPP- NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
The Anti-Terrorism Council also formally designated the National Democratic Front as a terrorist organization on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and inseparable part” of the CPP-NPA created in April 1973. (PNA)
