New Actions in the People’s War on the Philippines
Featured image: 21-gun salute by the NPA in Batangas. Source: PRWC.
On the 16th of October the New People’s Army (NPA) carried out an ambush killing at least 5 soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Batangas. The NPA detonated a command-detonated explosive after waiting for an AFP squad to enter its killing range, then they opened fire at the squad. The NPA reports that their unit retreated safely after the ambush with no casualties.
The day before in the same area, the a unit of the NPA successfully fought back an ambush by the AFP. After securing the safety of their combatants, the unit immediately launched a counter-offensive and opened fire on the pursuing AFP soldiers.
According to a statement by the spokesperson of the Eduardo Dagli Command of the NPA, which operates in Batangas, the ambushed AFP soldiers was from the 59th Infantry Battalion which were deployed to Batangas in January of 2022. Since their deployment they have terrorized the local peasants. The NPA celebrates the action as a punishment for the murder of 9-year-old Kyllene Casao, who was killed by the 59th Infantry Battalion on the 18th of July, 2022, and the peasant Maximino Digno, who was killed by the same unit on the 26th of July, 2022.
Also on the 16th of October, the unit of the Lucio De Guzman Command, of the NPA in Mindoro, carried out a successful active defense against an attack by the 76th Infantry Battalion of the AFP. One of the attacking soldiers was killed, and the NPA unit retreated safely. The next day the 76th Infantry Battalion together with the 10th Special Action Battalion attempted to carry out an ambush against the NPA. The NPA again succeeded in actively defending against the attack.
On the 14th of October the NPA reports to have killed Rey Esposado, carrying out the death penalty he was sentenced to by the Provincial People’s Court for treason against the revolution. They state that Esposado was among a group of NPA guerrillas who surrendered to the reactionary State in April of 2018. After giving up his firearms belonging to the NPA, he joined a death squad of the old Pilipino State, against activists and alleged revolutionaries. He was found guilty for the murders of two peasant activists as well as threatening and harassing peasants fighting for land.
