Ads 468x60px

twitterfacebookgoogle pluslinkedinrss feedemail

Friday, February 8, 2013

NPA Kills an Innocent Civilian every Week in 2012


NPA Kills an Innocent Civilian every Week in 2012

Published on Wednesday, 06 February 2013 12:11
Written by PAO, AF
Bookmark and Share
CAMP GENERAL EMILIO AGUINALDO, Quezon City – Despite their projection as a pro-people communist organization, the New People’s Army (NPA) continues to resort to armed violence. The NPAs were responsible for 374 violent incidents recorded for 2012 which caused the death of 53 civilians over the country. Rounding up the statistics, an innocent civilian is killed by the NPA every week last year.


These violent incidents perpetrated by the NPA also resulted to the killings of 81 members of the AFP, 8 from the Philippine National Police (PNP), and 22 CAFGU Active Auxiliary (CAA). Such atrocities is a clear manifestation of the NPAs resorting to force and intimidation to coerce civilians including private firms and individuals, even poor folks in far flung villages of the country to give in to their demands since the NPA has lost its mass base support already.

For its part however, the AFP was able to successfully neutralize 555 NPA personalities in 2012 of which, 367 voluntarily surrendered to the government.

The NPA still uses the armed violence to sow fear and panic among the people to propagate their extortion activities. Just recently, eight civilians and a policeman were killed, while nine others were wounded during an ambush by 20 armed NPA members in a hinterland village in Negros Occidental. Two men and a woman who died in the ambush were just heading home after a village dance when the gunmen fire upon their truck early morning of January 27.

The AFP strongly condemned this recent attack and vowed to continue its focused security operations aimed at targeting those who continue to pursue armed violence that has caused suffering to the people and loss of innocent lives. This is being done by the AFP while supporting the efforts of the government for peace and development as embodied in its Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan.


NPA commits 10 violations during the Extended Ceasefire

Despite the AFP’s openness to the rebels returning to the democratic fold, the NPAs continue to wage armed violence, disrupt the peace-building initiatives of the government and even disrespect the peace process by violating past ceasefire pronouncements. 

Recently, another civilian died in the hands of at least three NPA rebels while on the way home with his husband in Ligao City, Albay. Sarah Jane, was killed in a gun shot while his husband, militiamen Arnel Yuson was able to escape and sought help from a nearby military camp. The incident happened just hours after the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) attempted to cut-off their holiday ceasefire pronounced on January 2.

In total, the AFP recorded 10 atrocities of the NPA despite the AFP’s unilateral Suspension of Offensive and Military Operations (SOMO) which started December 16 last year and was extended up to January 15, 2013. Five harassment incidents in Agusan del Norte; 
Malaybalay City; North Cotabato; Tanay, Rizal; South Cotabato; and Camarines Sur were recorded which caused the death of one AFP soldier and CAA, and two wounded from the AFP. Two abduction incidents, arson, ambush, and liquidation by NPA which resulted to the death of one CAA were also recorded.
 

10 Civilians were not spared by the NPA

For the whole month of January this year, the NPA conducted 10 violent activities which killed 10 civilians and wounded nine. These NPA-initiated violent incidents also resulted to three fatalities from the AFP, PNP, and CAA while 27 were wounded. This clearly shows that the rebel group continues to pursue armed violence despite ongoing peace efforts by the government. The AFP for its part is maintaining its focused security operations which so far have led to the neutralization of 21 NPA personalities of which 19 surrendered to the government in the first month of the year.

Visibly, the NPA continue to capitalize on soft targets, often resolving to inhumane tactics including the use of Improvised Explosive Devices, conduct of ambuscades, extortion activities, and sabotage of vital economic facilities in the past years.

“The AFP will never waiver in its commitment to thwart NPA atrocities and armed violence until just and lasting peace and stability for our country is achieved. Despite this incident, the AFP will remain supportive of the peace efforts and peace-building undertakings of the government. We will continue to intensify our focused security operations against armed rebels who continue to wage armed violence causing loss of innocent lives, destruction of properties, and damage to vital economic facilities and infrastructures,” AFP Chief of Staff, General Emmanuel T. Bautista said.



AFP Websites



links:
http://www.afp.mil.ph/index.php/19-afp-data-articles/latest-news/1107-npa-kills-an-innocent-civilian-every-week-in-2012







PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------