THE AFP Visayas Command (Viscom) yesterday said the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in the Visayas is “now gasping for breath” and “on the brink of irreversible collapse.”
Acting Viscom commander Commodore Oscar Canlas Jr. made the remarks as the command reported the neutralization of 51 rebels in the Visayas during the first quarter of the year.
In a statement, Viscom said there have been 44 military-initiated encounters with the insurgents in the area since January 1.
“These encounters led to the neutralization of a total of 51 NPA terrorists, 20 of whom died during encounters, 27 returned to the folds of the law, while four were apprehended,” Viscom said.
The slain rebels included leaders Rolando Caballera, Domingo Compoc, and Rena Rhea Camariosa who died in separate clashes with Army troops in Leyte, Bohol and Iloilo last February.
Viscom said the NPA’s firepower was also drastically degraded with the seizure of 46 high-powered firearms and 22 low-powered firearms.
“The CPP-NPA (is) now grasping for breath. Their leaders continue to fall, and they continue to lose valuable resources to foster their armed struggle,” Canlas said.
“The CPP-NPA in the region (is) now on the brink of irreversible collapse. Their manpower continues to decline, and their firepower has been significantly degraded. All the more reason for us to sustain our gains and push harder to end the local communist armed conflict here in the Visayas,” he added.
Canlas urged the remaining rebels in Visayas to surrender, stressing that military operations against the NPA “will continue to be relentless.”
