Reds dismiss military's claim of reduction of NPA forces

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Wednesday scoffed at Armed Forces Chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon's claim that the New People's Army's strength has been reduced by 900 since the start of the year.

Calling Esperon's claim a preposterous cover-up for the AFP's embarassing series of losses in battles with the NPA, CPP spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal noted that "the AFP has not won any significant armed victory against the NPA this year, and has in fact suffered several significantly damaging losses in the past several months."

On the other hand, Rosal said, "the NPA has consistently been earning one victory after another in its recents series of big and small tactical offensives against Arroyo's fascist troops."

Among the biggest victories this year, Rosal said, was the lighting pre-deawn raid at the Davao Penal Colony last April 6 where an NPA unit was able to confiscate 101 firearms including at least 50 high-powered rifleswithout firing a single shot.

In the Ilocos-Cordillera Region alone, Rosal noted, "at least 46 enemy soldiers were killed in action" in several NPA offensives and armed encounters from January 7.

Rosal added that such heavy losses of AFP forces in the battles with the NPA belie Esperon's further boast that the military can achieve the "strategic defeat" of the NPA by 2010 as touted by the AFP's Oplan Bantay Laya II (OBL II).

The CPP spokesperson pointed out that the AFP cannot even wipe out the miniscule Abu Sayaff bandit group.