NPA down to around 1,500 fighters–AFP

HOLIDAY TRUCE The New People’s Army, whose members are seen wielding high-powered firearms in this photo taken in Marihatag, Surigao del Sur, on Dec. 26, 2018, will lay down their weapons from Dec. 25 to Dec. 26, marking the 55th anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines. —ERWIN MASCARIÑAS

MANILA, Philippines — The Maoist New People’s Army (NPA) is now down to more or less 1,500 fighters, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar said on Tuesday.

“Humina na po ang kakayahan ng NPA, more or less nasa 1,500 na lang po sila,” Aguilar said in a radio interview over DWPM.

(The strength of the NPA has weakened, more or less, they have 1,500 members left.)

Last July, Aguilar said that the NPA had around 1,800 fighters.

READ: NPA membership down to 1,800 — AFP

Aguilar said the current strength of the NPA meant that they could no longer generally stage tactical offensives or attacks against government forces.

“So kung titignan natin while they are still capable of mounting terror actions pero tinitignan namin generally hindi nila kaya ang mga tactical offensives.

(So, if we notice that while they are still capable of mounting terror actions, we could see that generally, they could not conduct tactical offensives.)

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) marks its 55th anniversary this Tuesday, Dec. 26.

To commemorate this, the CPP declared a unilateral ceasefire, which the AFP dismissed as it downplayed the control of the party’s central committee.

READ: AFP shrugs off CPP’s ceasefire

“Wala na pong control ang central committee na sa aming pagkakaalam ay mahina na po at watak-watak,” Aguilar said.

(Their central committee has no control, as far as we know, they are weak and disorganized.)

“Nagtaka nga po kami kung bakit may ganung deklarasyon (ceasefire) dahil hindi na po namin pinapansin ang national leadership dahil admittedly, kahit sila po ay walang talagang leadership,” he added.

(We were surprised about their ceasefire declaration because we don’t take notice of their national leadership because, admittedly, they no longer have leadership.)

In December 2022, CPP founder Jose Maria Sison died at 83 years old during his self-exile in the Netherlands.

Sison established CPP on December 26, 1968, while its armed wing, later created on March 29, 1969, wages the longest-running Maoist insurgency in the world.