Development will kill NPA, says military

The military sees the eventual demise of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) with the waning strength of the rebel group and the arrest of its top leaders.

Brig. Gen. Joselito Kakilala, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, noted that the rebel group’s strength had dwindled to fewer than 4,000 fighters.

“Their capability has been degraded, as well as their influence on the mass bases … that’s their eventual demise,” he said.

Kakilala issued a statement yesterday on the NPA’s 46th  anniversary during which the military raised a red alert.

Impending development in marginalized communities will eventually lead to the rebel group’s downfall, he said.

“We will have economic growth and prosperity for every Filipino in the years to come, and the NPA and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) will be irrelevant,” he added.

Critical infrastructure

Kakilala said the AFP under Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. was assisting in  the identification of needed critical infrastructure projects such as  bridges, farm-to-market roads and schools.

He said these were being translated to tangible programs which were being implemented, resulting in a “drastic decline” in insurgency-related activity.