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[av_heading heading=’REBELS LOSING PEOPLE – ARMY | ‘Recruitment proves Panay NPA dwindling’’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Saturday, April 8, 2017
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ILOILO City – Yes, the New People’s Army (NPA) is consolidating its force in Panay Island but this is because its ranks are now dwindling, according to the Philippine Army.
“They need to recruit new members para ma-lift up ang ila depleting forces,” said Lieutenant Colonel Vener Morga, commanding officer of the Army’s 82nd Infantry Battalion based in Miag-ao, Iloilo.
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Panay regional committee confirmed the recruitment in a statement released to mark the recent 48th anniversary of the NPA, its armed wing.
Government troops were not worried, said Morga. They viewed the recruitment activities as reflective of NPA-Panay’s diminishing ranks.
“It has to recruit more because many members have left after realizing the futility of their cause. For 48 years they fooled the people with their false propaganda,” he said.
The recruitment was very public, with wall graffiti and streamers urging the youth to join the revolutionary movement displayed in mostly the hinterlands of Iloilo and Capiz.
Even the provincial capitol of Capiz was not spared from the NPA’s graffiti, said Morga.
One recruitment poster read, “Magpatapu sa New People’s Army,”
The irony was not lost to Morga. He said the communist rebels were exercising freedom of expression in a democratic setting.
According to the CPP Panay regional committee, “NPA-Panay units have widened their areas of operation and maintained their strongholds. They reached out to the wider mass base of farmers and peasants.”
It also claimed a surge in the number of youths joining the revolutionary movement as full-time NPA fighters.
But according to Lieutenant Colonel Leonardo Peña, commanding officer of the Army’s 61st Infantry Battalion, people were not buying the NPA’s solution to poverty – armed revolution.
“In reality marami na, especially sa mga educated Filipinos, ang naniniwala na hindi talaga armadong rebolusyon ang solusyun kundi pagkakaisa para mapa-uswag ang ating bansa,” said Peña.
The 61st Infantry Battalion was based in Calinog, Iloilo.
With the resumption of the peace talks this month, the CPP regional party committee said NPA-Panay was ready to follow the communist party’s directives and policies related to the negotiations.
But it ordered its forces to be prepared for possible offensives of government forces and paramilitary groups.
Recently, three rebel returnees from the Iloilo towns of Calinog and Tubungan received financial assistance from the government through the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP).
Each received a total of P65,000 for their livelihood. The turnover of assistance was held at the Iloilo provincial capitol.
“We hope may susunod pa with the efforts na ginagawa natin doon sa upland areas,” said Peña.
Most rebel returnees were unschooled, he said, and were taken advantaged by the NPA.
“Nabi-brainwash nila with promises na ma-address ang poverty nila. But these are false promises. Hindi talaga naiibigay ng NPA eventually,” Peña said.
When these people stated having families and children, they realized that “walang mangyayari sa buhay nila kaya nag-decide sila na bumalik na lang sa gobyerno,” he added./PN
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