A series of successful tactical offensives launched in the past two weeks by the New People’s Army against armed security agents of the Marcos, Jr. government raises serious doubts about claims that the NPA and the armed revolutionary movement have been crushed.
The NPA Jose Rapsing Command in the island province of Masbate, ambushed a paramilitary CAFGU unit in Manlot-od village, Placer town, on 7 November. Two enemy combatants died in the ambush. Recovered from the enemy were two handguns, several ammunition and other war materiel.
The NPA-Masbate reported launching more than 20 tactical offensives against various units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and paramilitary CAFGU since the start of 2022, resulting in casualties equivalent to a platoon of the enemy forces.
Meanwhile in Negros Island, the NPA mounted a series of sniping and harassment operations in the past two weeks against AFP and PNP units.
On 1 November, the NPA fired at a police station in Trinidad village, Guihulngan City, injuring two police officers. On 30 October and again on 1November, NPA snipers fired at an AFP camp in Budlasan village, Canlaon City, killing a soldier and wounding another.
On 29 October, an armed encounter between NPA and the AFP 62nd Infantry Battalion took place in Planas village, Guihulngan City, killing five AFP combatants. Six hours later, in another village of the same city, another encounter took place where an NPA Red fighter died.
In the Cordillera Region in northern Philippines, the NPA ambushed soldiers of the AFP 24th Infantry Battalion on 27 October in Malibcong town, Abra province. Two AFP troopers were killed while another was wounded. The NPA-Cordillera declared that the ambush is punishment for AFP attacks and suppression of the indigenous Igorot communities who are opposing the environmentally destructive mining operations in Abra and Apayao provinces.
The NPA-Cordillera also reported mounting armed offensives against the AFP on 30 June, 9 July and 18 August in Abra and Apayao, where five armed mercenaries were killed.
Meanwhile, Marco Valbuena, Chief Information Officer of the Communist Party of the Philippines, branded as “utterly ridiculous” the claims of the Marcos, Jr. government that the NPA now operates in only five guerrilla fronts. He bared that any of the 14 NPA regional commands has more than five guerrilla fronts.
Valbuena said, “The exaggerated claims of having crushed the NPA is meant for foreign capitalist investors, who the Marcos regime wishes to invite to plunder the country's mineral riches and other natural resources.”