NPA a 'convenient excuse' for admin's failures vs COVID-19 — CPP
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — While condemning renewed threats to declare martial law, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Friday took its armed wing — the New People's Army — exception from being a perennial excuse for government’s failures.
“This is a classic deflection tactic to draw away the people's attention from the government's inept, incompassionate and irresponsible actions in the face of the pandemic,” the CPP said.
This statement came after President Rodrigo Duterte took angry swipes against the NPA for continued attacks against government forces despite the military taking on non-combat roles during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) like securing cash assistance program distribution schedules.
The CPP, however, chided how the president “is using the COVID-19 crisis, one that has blown up because of his government's military-minded response and failure to conduct mass testing, to carry out agenda of imposing martial law.”
The group suspects that Duterte's “ultimate aim is to establish his dictatorship, something he has long sought to do.”
But the communist group insists, “imposing martial law will not stop the COVID-19 pandemic but will only cause greater hardships on the people... Duterte wants to kill democracy, at a time when democracy is needed to mobilize the people in a mass campaign of screening and testing to detect and isolate the virus and break its chain of transmission," the CPP continued.
The CPP also believes the further extension of the lockdown until May 15 is “in lieu of any decisive push for mass testing.” There is now creeping nationwide martial law and the entire country is now effectively under the highhanded and control of the military and police, it believed.
No ceasefire?
The CPP also defended the NPA for the attacks against government forces claiming , “the armed clashes between the NPA and the AFP in the past days are a result of the attacks of the AFP and active defense of the NPA."
"Since Duterte's ceasefire lapsed last April 15, the AFP has further stepped up its counterinsurgency operations. In fact, the AFP never went on ceasefire, even when Duterte ordered a suspension of offensive operations last March 19 to April 15, deploying troops to more than 350 barangays and 120 towns to conduct counterinsurgency, mounting at least 24 offensives and six aerial bombardments.”
It cited the clash in Himamaylan City on April 15 where three soldiers were reportedly killed which happened in the interior areas 10 kilometers away from Barangay Carabalan, where the DSWD was scheduled to distribute "social amelioration" to the residents.
“The 94th IB platoon was clearly on combat operations when they carried out the attack against the NPA. The NPA fighters rightfully defended themselves in battle,” the CPP said.
The military’s supposed relief work operations, the CPP accused, “only serve as cover for their intensified counter-insurgency operations,” citing, “across the country, the AFP is imposing martial law on communities and forcing people to "surrender" bringing greater hardship and oppression more than the threat of the COVID-19.”
The CPP added that only last Sunday, fighter jets supposeldy dropped aerial bombs in the vicinity of Barangay Gasi, in Kiamba town, Sarangani province. It was described though as “aerial support” for AFP relief work but allegedly terrorized residents and traumatized children.
On that same day, at least two helicopters dropped "surrender leaflets" in Aroroy town, Masbate province.
Similarly in Sagada and Besao, Mt. Province, helicopters dropped similar leaflets urging residents to disclaim NPA supporter organizations in their villages.
An hour of flight of AFP Huey helicopters costs at least P110,000.00, which is the equivalent of at least 55 sacks of rice.
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