A reinvigorated armed struggle, a tempered mass base and growing mass movement, and consolidated Party organizations. These are some of the features of the state of the revolutionary movement in Northern Negros as #DiMasaligan79IB commander Lt. Col. Arnel Calaoagan forthwith hands over his post to his successor.
In an effort to project Calaoagan’s stint in Northern Negros as victorious, military’s online de facto spokesperson spin doctored his supposed accomplishment to the point of absurdity and ludicrousness.
Calaoagan was hailed as the “Maximus of the North” and derided the NPA as his “barbarian enemy.”
Maximus Decimus Meridius was a Roman general in 2nd century AD who led a Twelve Year Campaign against the Germanic tribes at Vindobona in Germania. These tribes formed separate kingdoms that refused to yield to Roman rule and fiercely defended their homeland. Thus, dubbed by the Romans as barbarians.
Maybe watching too much movies dulled their sense of history. The Roman armies led by Maximus was an oppressive occupying force and the so-called barbarians are the people united to defend their homes from pillage and destruction.
In today’s context, #DiMasaligan79IB is exactly like that—an oppressive and brutal occupying force that lay siege on the countryside and subject its population to unspeakable torment and acts of state terrorism.
The NPA, as the defenders of the people, can be likened to modern day Spartacus, the slave who led an uprising that shook the very foundation of the Roman Empire that eventually led to its downfall.
But unlike Maximus who defeated the Germanic tribe in a decisive battle, Calaoagan utterly failed in his mission to crush the Roselyn Jean Pelle Command-New People’s Army (RJPC-NPA) and destroy the entire revolutionary movement in Northen Negros.
Amid relentless focused military operations, RJPC-NPA managed to preserve its forces and launched just in time counter-encirclement campaigns and expand its area of operation.
In the last two years that Calaoagan served as battalion commander, more than 20 offensive operations of varying scale and types were carried out by RJPC-NPA that seized five high-powered rifles, more than 10 short firearms and scores of ammunition and other war materials.
RJPC-NPA full-time personnel expanded by more than 12% and the people’s militia increased its membership by almost 20%.
The mass base also marked a significant advancement with more and more organizing committees established leading the formation of full-fledge mass organizations.
Party courses were creatively and discreetly conducted right in the very nose of enemy’s combat operation with progressively increasing numbers of Party members in localities able to complete the Basic Party Course.
Calaoagan’s hallowed claim of “strategic victory” as phrased by his PR hacks is pure and simple fiction. He will depart empty-handed as the Third Rectifaction Movement initiated by the CPP further deepen its roots in Northern Negros.