As the 36-day nationwide ceasefire declared by the New People’s Army expired on April 30, the people’s army said it will transition from an active defense posture to an offensive one, as the Duterte regime continues its combat operations against the NPA and the people.
The revolutionary movement led by CPP declared a unilateral ceasefire to heed the call of the United Nations’ Secretary General for a global ceasefire.
AFP combat operations continue despite ceasefire
In a statement on April 30 published in its website, the CPP said however that during the past 36 days, the reactionary Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) mounted at least 36 raids against NPA encampments in 23 provinces, namely, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Antique, Bohol, Bukidnon, Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, Iloilo, Lanao del Sur, Masbate, Negros Occidental, Northern Samar, Quezon, Rizal, Samar, Sorsogon, South Cotabato, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur. There were at least 11 other armed encounters as a result of non-stop combat operations of the AFP, according to the CPP.
During their raids and armed encounters with the NPA during the past 36 days under Covid-19 crisis, the AFP suffered at least 56 casualties, 31 of whom were killed in action. On the part of the NPA, 18 Red fighters were killed while 8 were wounded, the CPP said.
NPA continues to fight with the people vs. Covid19 despite AFP combat operations
“Over the past month, NPA units gave priority to conducting a public health campaign to raise the people’s awareness of the Covid-19 pandemic and mobilize them to prevent the spread of the virus, protect the elderly, pregnant women and the infirm, promote personal hygiene, physical distancing, good health and sanitation. Some NPA units in guerrilla zones not under the AFP’s focused operations were able to conduct mass clinics to check up on the state of health of village residents and provide treatment and medication,” the CPP reported.
The CPP also tasked the NPA to promote an economic campaign to raise food production and advance their campaigns to lower land rent, raise wages for farm workers, lower interest rates, and other agrarian reforms. This, the CPP emphasized, is a continuing campaign which must be carried out across the country as the Philippine economy is set to further slide into crisis as a result of Duterte’s lockdown and continuing neoliberal policies.
The CPP added that the NPA’s public health and mass campaigns are being well received by the people. Because of the NPA’s information drive, the people are able to purposely carry out health policies and consciously plan out their course of action in response to the pandemic. The peasant masses welcome especially the food production and agrarian reforms campaign as these address their urgent social and economic problems, the CPP further added.
NPA assures safety of government and private relief agencies and humanitarian missions
Although the ceasefire has ended, the CPP ordered NPA units to continue to exert effort to facilitate the distribution of relief aid for the masses who are suffering gravely from the Duterte regime’s military lockdown. The NPA and all revolutionary forces, the CPP added, must continue to cooperate and work with all concerned agencies, personalities, business enterprises and other entities to extend assistance to the people who are urgently in need of economic relief.
“Agencies of the reactionary government are welcome to assist the masses in the revolutionary areas. The NPA assures your safety. We urge you to refuse AFP escorts as their presence only raises the danger of armed encounters,” the CPP emphasized.
In contrast, the Duterte fascist regime has been arresting, harassing and criminalizing humanitarian and private initiative missions to hungry communities lockdowned and abandoned by government.
The NPA, it continued, will proceed to conduct public health work, extend medical services and help the masses wage agrarian reform campaigns, assist in raising production and continue, help build and consolidate the people’s organizations and their determination to wage revolutionary struggles, and expand and strengthen the New People’s Army.
NPA to keep aAFP blind and deaf
While the CPP has commended the NPA for strict compliance with the Central Committee’s unilateral ceasefire declaration, desisting from mounting any tactical offensives, it also saluted the people’s army. for successfully defending themselves and the masses and thwarting the raids and treacherous attacks mounted by the AFP.
The CPP finally exhorted all NPA units to maintain secrecy at all times and in all their guerrilla maneuvers and conduct of mass work.
“The NPA must keep the AFP blind and deaf and deny them the opportunity to mount offensives. The NPA must continue to raise their capability in dispersal, shifting and concentration,” the CPP stressed.#
