Army Major General Rhoderick Parayno (Photo from the official website of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Civil Relations Service)
LUCENA CITY – An Army official scoffed at Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison’s claim that the government forces could not touch them in their hinterland lairs during the holiday ceasefire.
“That’s wrong messaging from Sison. Propaganda obviously,” Major General Rhoderick Parayno, commander of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division based in Tanay, Rizal said in a statement Saturday.
Parayno stressed that New People’s Army (CPP) rebels “have no areas to claim their own.”
Parayno made the statement after Sison belittled the capability of government forces to disrupt the rebel’s Christmas ceasefire particularly the 50th CPP founding anniversary celebration on Dec. 26.
Earlier, Sison said the military and police “have only a small amount of strength” which can cover only a few thousand barangays out of tens of thousands of more than 40,000 villages.
Sison boasted that the rebel forces have lots of areas “to maneuver and outmaneuver” its enemy.
Parayno retorted: “If they won’t threaten the people, extort and bring their firearms in the communities we are protecting, then you don’t expect us to be in those areas.”
Parayno stressed that government forces are present everywhere “to guarantee the safety of countrymen living peacefully.”
“Even those in far-flung areas,” he added.
Parayno also extended his holiday greetings to the communist rebels.
“Our greetings of Happy Holidays go with them. We encourage them to go home and feel the beauty of living peacefully, and productively with their families, their wives and children,” Parayno said.
“The issues that they’ve been complaining long before are probably non-existent now. We will help them live peaceful lives if they join mainstream society,” he said.