Despite the ever intensification of the relentless counter-insurgency campaigns of the Marcos Jr’s regime together with US imperialism, the revolutionary people’s war in the Philippines continue to develop and advance in different regions. Despite having suffered major and minor losses in the past, the New People’s Army (NPA) has been able to advance and strengthen itself after the rectification movement in 2023.

US imperialism and the eight reactionary governments from Marcos Sr to Marcos Jr have launched more than ten strategic wars of suppression to crush the NPA: from Oplan Nip-in-the-bud to NAP-UPD. Each oplan employed tactics that were more intense, more brutal, and more widespread than the one before.

The regime is even modernizing it’s repressive methods. Ang Bayan on August 7 reports that a projected P379 million “modern warfare laboratory” that will be used to train officers in the use of drones and robotics, so-called “cutting-edge” or “emerging defense technologies.” This aligns with the US plan to use military technology for counter-insurgency campaigns and to push imperialist war in Asia.

Ang Bayan asserts, the laboratory is part of the increasing military spending under the Marcos regime. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth recently called on US-controlled countries to raise military spending to 3.5% of GDP. The American lapdog Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro quickly agreed and insisted on raising it further to 4% of GDP.

In the midst of the regime’s major focused operations in its incessant military campaigns in many regions, the people’s army strengthened the bond of unity between itself and the masses, expanded and strengthened its forces to frustrate the enemy’s operations and stun it with guerilla actions.

A recent example of this happened in Matuguinao, Western Samar where an encounter between the New People's Army and a column of the regime’s military occurred on July 30 in the Karumanggan area, according to a NPA-Western Samar (Arnulfo Ortiz Command) report. The NPA unit fired first from a distance of 50 meters and gained control of the battle. They exchanged gunfire for thirty minutes before retreating without casualties.

The NPA-Bicol Regional Operational Command (Romulo Jallores Command) reported that in the towns of Camarines Norte a battle broke out between a unit of the New People's Army and military forces of the reactionary government in Labo, Camarines Norte on August 1. The Red fighters fought valiantly and were able to maneuver out safely in an attempt to crush them by the AFP.

The NPA-Bicol continues, “In the midst of the brutal invasion of the countryside by the reactionary AFP under the useless and puppet regime of the US-Marcos II, the brave Red fighters continue to mobilize, organize and mobilize the people along with other revolutionary forces to strengthen unity and build a solid strength of the peasant masses to fight for their right to life. land and economy.”