The NPA Eliminates Two Soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
We hereby share an unofficial translation of a statement by the New People’s Army (NPA) Southwest Negros shared by Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) on the 5thof May.
Two AFP Soldiers Eliminated in NPA Counter-Offensive in Cauayan; Peasant Arrested
Two members of the 47th IB (Infantry Battalion) were eliminated after a successful offensive by a unit of the Armando Sumayang Jr Command (ASJC-NPA) yesterday, May 4, at around 5 a.m., in Sitio Matab-ang, Barangay Masaling, Cauayan City. The New People’s Army (NPA) unit safely maneuvered after the incident.
The fascist military (15th and 47th IB) has been conducting operations for a long time in the mountainous areas of the municipalities of Cauayan, Candoni, and Ilog, and in the cities of Sipalay and Kabankalan since February. The recent operation launched by the NPA in Sitio Looy, Barangay Yaoyao, last month was in response to residents’ demands about the harmful presence of reactionary troops in the said areas.
The ASJC-NPA strongly condemns the forced abduction of Jose Escamilla, a resident of Sitio Pulo, Barangay Masaling, following the encounter. Although he was released after a few hours, this is often done by fascist troops so they have someone to blame and take out their frustration on for the failure of their military operation, and residents often become victims of harassment, forced surrenders, or have evidence planted against them.
The residents have noticed the AFP’s deployment of its helicopters from last April to the present, demonstrating the reckless use of State funds for militarization while the people suffer from high prices for goods and extremely low wages and product prices.
The AFP’s seemingly broken-record rhetoric that their data comes from the residents is unbelievable, because the masses of peasants and workers already know that only a few individuals are used as military assets. These individuals are isolated from their communities because they have become the embodiment of State fascism and terrorism, which is focused on trampling human rights in the countryside and the cities. They are legitimate targets of revolutionary justice, especially those who have blood debts and great enmity toward the movement and the people.
The revolutionary spirit of the NPA will continue to grow stronger to defend the interests and rights of the people. Every day, there is a reason for the long-oppressed and exploited masses of peasants and workers to resist, to support, and to take up arms against a system controlled solely by the ruling classes.
