Philippines Civil War: NPA Insurgents Girding for All-Out War
by Ma Nguyen Tong
30-10-2002
Despite the assistance of United States
combat troops and military advisors, the Philippine government's war against
the New People's Army insurgents was slowly, inexhorably and quietly (as
far as mainstream world news media is concerned) being lost, not unlike the
South Vietnamese army's efforts against the North Vietnamese. NPA soldiers
continued their campaign of attacks on police stations, military posts and
other government buildings, staging massive firefights that left many officials
dead and wounded. In late September, the NPA began to slowly close in on
the capital of the Philippines, staging a daring raid against the Quezon
Police Station, killing the police chief and other policemen. NPA spokesman
Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal told the local media that the insurgents' attacks
in Quezon, as well as in Lopez, San Rafael, Bulacan and other military, police
and government installations and offices were rehearsals for a much bigger
offensive. A powerful bomb exploded outside a restaurant frequented by troops,
killing an American soldier and a Filipino, and injuring at least 21 other
people, including American soldiers.
"The cadres are training for finalizing the people's war," he said, "There
is rampant poverty in the Philippinos because the corrupt political and economic
elite are their traitors. They steal the peoples wealth and leave nothing
for the people." Rosal admitted that NPA soldiers had killed policemen and
seized many high-powered firearms in their attacks on police and military
installations in Luzon and Mindano, making them capable of successfully meeting
whatever the army throws at them.
"The evidence is that government obviously cannot pulverize the NPA as it
always gloats about, as the members have been veterans of many battles in
the past decades," he said.
Other NPA fronts numbering many hundreds were also preparing for the final
offensive to topple the Philippine government. During the latter half of
September and in October, the street and market rumours spoken among the
people were of the impending final offensive, while the government continued
to spout speeches of its effectiveness.
In an effort to clear the extremely cluttered streets of metro Manila, the
government began to implement a program called the Sidewalk Clearance Operation
to remove the longitudinal shanty towns the poor have built along the sidewalks
in order to get rid of the rabbit warrens and clear the streets for proper
lines of fire, should it come to that.
Meanwhile, the NPA's offensive resulted in the Philippine government losing
considerable territory into early October. The NPA set up provisional governments
in at least seven territories it had successfully wrested from the government
despite assistance from US troops and advisors. The Eastern Visayas were
now effectively controlled by the NPA after government forces were routed.
Lt. Col. Romeo Gapuz, commander of the Philippine Army's 34th
Infantry Battalion, which was routed, admitted to the defeats on the battlefield,
but refused to name the towns "to avoid panicking the civilians of the country".
Among these regions were 17 municipalities.
However, under the advice and guidance of the US State Department, Malacanang
Palace, the presidential seat of the Philippines, warned on October 1, 2002
that the government might not resume formal peace talks, despite its recent
losses, with the insurgents if the NPA did not stop its attacks. Key advisors
sent to guide President Arroyo debated whether to scrap peace negotiations
with the National Democratic Front (NDF).
Mrs. Arroyo suspended formal peace talks with the insurgents in June 2001
following a series of NPA assassinations of top political leaders. However,
it since appeared some were assassinated by the American CIA as it appeared
they might swith their allegiance to the NDF after it appeared to be the
better bet on the long run.
The NPA has also begun attacks on the interests of Western multinational
corporations. In the end of September NPA soldiers burned millions of dollars
of heavy equipment in a quarry in Niyugan and Donacion in Angat Town, Bulacan.
The attacks are leavinf numerous casualties. Col. Jovenal Narcise, commander
of the Army's 702nd Infantry Brigade, on October 2 ordered troops
to scour hsopitals and clinics and neighbouring areas in search of wounded
NPA soldiers. Troops were ordered to immediately shoot and kill them, even
in their hospital beds, despite risks to other nearby patients.
"We have to nip this in the bud," he said. "It is getting completely out
of hand." Given the real situation on the ground, it would seem it already
had gotten out of hand.
Meanwhile, on the same day Maj. Gen. Alberto Braganza, commander of the Army's
7th Infantry Division, said he had organised a 500-man trike force
to go after a large NPA force in Central Luzon.
US soldier killed in Zambo bombing--another American among 21
wounded
Meanwhile, a powerful bomb exploded outside a restaurant frequented by American
troops fighting alongside the Philippines armed forces, killing an American
soldier and wounding at least 21 other people, including another American
soldier.
The blast ripped off the roof of a small wooden house and damaged six shops.
Television footage showed pools of blood and unconscious victims--some with
their shirts bloodied--being loaded into ambulances.
Philippines Armed forces welcomes long-term US troops and military
advisors
Armed Forces chief Gen. Benjamin Defensor hailed on October 2 a US pledge
of long-term aid in terms of logistical and combat support in terms of equipment,
weapons and personnel in the fight against the NPA, saying it would boost
the Philippine military's efforts.
NPA carries out another attack
Meanwhile in Quezon the NPA killed a militiaman and wounded four others during
a raid on an army detachment early in the morning of October 4. Killed was
militiaman Ely Maranan. The army was unable to determine if the separatists
had suffered any casualties. Army Capt. Ramon Rosario of the Armed Forces
Southern Command said the separatists attacked the army detachment at around
03:30 hours after they had failed to burn heavy equipment at a nearby
construction site. Rosario said the shootout lasted for at least an hour
in which the militiamen and soldiers defended their positions against the
attackers.
Western Police District girds for NPA attacks
The Philippines' Wester Police Distrcit girded for attacks on the nation's
capital by the NPA. This developed in the wake of continued successive attacks
on police stations in variou sparts of the Central and Southern tagalog regions.
"We do not want to take any chances. This is why we are now in a state of
heightened alert," said a WPD intelligence officer who refused to be named.
According to the source that the NPA was within the confines of the city
and had set up bases of operation in depressed areas in the city, such as
Isla Puting Bato in Tondo. According to the source, based on the intelligence
information they had gathered, the NPA planned to assassinate police officers
and attack key government facilities and offices in the city. This would
be similar to their efforts in the 1980s, when the NPA's hit squad, the so-called
Sparrow Unit, unleased a wave of assassinations in manila and other parts
of the metropolis against government and police officers.
To thwart the NPA's possible moves, the source said, the WPD had fielded
more intelligence operatives. In addition, security watches around vital
facilities such as the light rail transit terminals, the Malacanang Palace,
entrance to department stores, banks and hotels, the United States embassy
and the Pandacan oil depot facilities had also been tightened.
BayanTel Station attacked
NPA insurgents burned on October 6 the BayanTel RCPI relay station in Barangay
Kinalabasahan, some 30 km from Bula town, Camarines Sur, police said. Chief
Superintendent Rodolfo Tor, said the heavily armed NPA soldiers rounded up
the radio communications tehcnicians ans ecurity guards located at Mt.
kamurubalan. They set on fire the powerhouse and the radio room. Estimated
damage was 80 million pesos. The insurgents released their prisoners after
withdrawing into the adjacent community.
The previous afternoon, the army captured 3 NPA soldiers in Labo, Camarines
Norte after an encounter between the two forces. The army said that the three
were part of the group that had attacked the police station in Quezon.