The Philippine Army said it is not placing its forces on red alert status in Negros today, in time for the 43rd founding anniversary celebration of the New People’s Army.
Colonel Oscar Lactao, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, yesterday said there is no order for them to observe a red alert status.
In previous years, the NPA usually marked its anniversary by staging attacks against military installations and personnel in Negros.
Lactao, who supervises the internal peace and security operations in Negros Occidental, however, said they will maintain their usual security operations to pre-empt possible threats from all lawless elements.
Military records show the continued weakening of the NPA strength in Negros, from its peak of about 1,200 in the late 1980s, to an estimated 600 in 2000, and a further decline to about 200 in 2010.
The Pambansang Katipunan ng mga Magbubukid – National Democratic Front of the Philippines, in a statement sent to the DAILY STAR, said it salutes the NPA for achieving greater victories in advancing the people’s war.
Resolving the worsening land problem is still the main content of the armed struggle and, because of this, the peasantry continuously advance the peoples’ war and wage campaigns to cherish the people’s army, the PKMP-NDFP, added in a statement it issued.
Lactao said it is much better for the NPA leaders to mark their anniversary in a positive way, by helping, and not killing the people.* GPB
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