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