Army generals debunk Bato’s claim of NPA surge

Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

TACLOBAN CITY—Two Army officials in the Visayas have debunked the claim of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa that recruitment activities of the New People’s Army (NPA) are once again active under the Marcos administration.

Maj. Gen. Camilo Ligayo, commanding general of the 8th Infantry Division based in Catbalogan City, Samar, and Maj. Gen. Marion Sison, commander of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division based in Jamindan, Capiz, dismissed the senator’s assertion, saying the communist insurgency in the country has actually weakened.

“They (communist rebels) are still there, but they are not gaining strength. It (recruitment) is not happening here (Eastern Visayas) or even throughout the country,” Ligayo said Tuesday.

READ: Military declares Zamboanga Peninsula ‘NPA-free’

“It’s just a matter of time for us to end this communist armed conflict. If this were a basketball game, we’re not just in the fourth quarter, we’re in the last two minutes,” he added.

Dela Rosa claimed the NPA’s recruitment was gaining momentum under the Marcos administration, an accusation he made during an Aug. 6 Senate inquiry into the reported recruitment of students in schools to join the communist group.

Ligayo said the government’s relentless campaign to eliminate the insurgency problem in the region under the administration of President Marcos led to the surrender of 162 members of the NPA and the deaths of 94 others, 14 of whom were considered key leaders in the region, since Jan. 1.

Upper hand

He said 284 NPA camps had been dismantled and 148 firearms were recovered.

Ligayo attributed the weakening of the insurgency to the rebels’ decision to surrender as well as the strong support from local governments and various agencies.

Sison, for his part, said that intelligence reports have consistently indicated a decline in student involvement in armed movements.

“There is really that hardship on the part of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army on recruitment, especially of our students and youth. As of now, we have not monitored any recruitment, which is why the NPA has no additional manpower,” he said Tuesday.

Sison highlighted the efforts of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict over the past two years, especially in actively engaging with schools and universities. He said the Army found no recruitment activities in key institutions in the Visayas.