Press Statement
January 14, 2013
The revolutionary movement in Southern Tagalog will
frustrate the US-Aquino regime�s intensified war of
suppression
Patnubay de Guia
Spokesperson
NDF-Southern Tagalog Region
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines-Southern Tagalog
Region (NDFP-ST) denounces the unceasing military operations of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Southern Tagalog despite
ceasefire and suspension of military and police operations
(SOMO/SOPO).
After the AFP declared its yuletide truce from December 16 to
January 2, battalion-size operations continue in the town of Rizal
in Laguna. Moreover, military operations carried out by the joint
forces of the 1st Special Forces Battalion (SFB) and 202nd Infantry
Brigade persist in San Pablo City, particularly in the barangays of
San Antonio, Santisimo, San Miguel, San Bartolome and Santa Monica.
Regular combat operations have also commenced in the nearby towns
such as Victoria and Pagsanjan.
In the Quezon province, military elements carried out Special
Warfare Group (SWAG) operations in the town of Real, pretending to
be members of the New People�s Army (NPA) in an attempt to deceive
the people. Peace and development teams under the 201st Infantry
Brigade conducted combat operations in several barangays along the
towns of Guinayangan, Calauag and Tagkawayan.
The military also actively pursued combat operations in the
Quezon-Bicol border. Forces of the 49th Infantry Battalion under the
9th Infantry Brigade conducted complementary military offensives in
Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte in the Bicol region parallel to
the combat operations of the 201st Infantry Brigade in the towns of
Tagkawayan, Calauag and Guinayangan in the Quezon province. Elements
of the 201st Infantry Brigade in Quezon also covered the town of
Sta. Elena in Camarines Norte. They set up a military camp in
Barangay Maulawin and stationed peace and development teams in
Barangay Guitol, both in Sta. Elena, and relentlessly conducted
operations in the adjacent barangays along the towns of Sta. Elena,
Guinayangan, Calauag and Tagkawayan. Furthermore, elements of the
76th Infantry Battalion stationed in Barangay Bagong Silang in
Tagkawayan stretched over the boundary of Labo and Tagkawayan and
launched combat operations in Casispalan, Busignon and Kabatuhan
until the end of December 2012. On the other side, the barangays of
Sta. Elena approaching the Labo-Capalongga border were covered by
the 49th Infantry Battalion. They focused their attacks in Barangay
Bulala where they stationed a platoon, then extended to three more
barangays in Sta. Elena, adjacent to Capalongga and the seaside of
Basyad, and stationed a company-size formation in the area from
November to December 2012.
In preparation for escalating Oplan Bayanihan in the whole country,
movements of state security forces were also carried out during the
truce. Just recently, the brigade headquarters of the 202nd Infantry
Brigade has been transferred from the town of Rizal to Cavinti in
Laguna. The Battalion Headquarters of the 1st Infantry Battalion was
also transferred from Kalayaan to the town of Pangil, also in Laguna
province. A platoon of the Philippine Marines was deployed in
Infanta, Quezon. The 201st Infantry Brigade shifted its focus to the
Quezon-Bicol border. Companies of the 76th IBPA and 22nd DRC were
redeployed from Catanauan to Tagkawayan in Quezon. Special Action
Forces (SAF) and Maneuver Platoons of the Philippine National Police
(PNP) were also geared to assist the AFP in its combat operations in
the province of Rizal.
These incidents refute the statements of the AFP that they were
complying with the ceasefire even after the Aquino regime belatedly
extended its SOMO/SOPO until January 15. Because in reality, it was
like no truce was declared. After all, peace and development teams
were not pulled out in the communities. And these have resulted to
numerous human rights violations such as illegal arrests, detention
and torture. These only affirmed the lack of sincerity and genuine
interest by the AFP, PNP and the Aquino administration to honor the
synchronized ceasefire agreement between Government of the
Philippines (GPH) and the NDFP.
From the start, the US-Aquino regime was never committed in looking
for common political solutions acceptable for both the NDFP and GPH
to address the roots of the civil war in the country. The regime
only exploits the peace negotiations and ceasefire to cause damage
to the revolutionary movement and force the revolutionary people to
capitulate. And now, with the failure of Aquino�s Oplan Bayanihan,
state security forces are in frenzy exhausting everything in its
capacity to keep up with its target of significantly reducing, if
not totally annihilating, the revolutionary movement in the region
to no avail. The deliberate violation of ceasefire by the AFP and
the PNP that fortify the redeployment and reshuffling of forces in
the region is geared for intensified offensives in the succeeding
months. Since they are already carrying out combat operations during
the ceasefire, it is certain that they will escalate their
offensives after the SOMO and SOPO are lifted.
Aquino�s ceasefire declaration, the AFP�s SOMO and the PNP�s SOPO
are just parts of their grandiose show in covering up the continuous
suppression perpetrated by state security forces in the pretext of
peace and development operations. The pretenses of Oplan Bayanihan
have already been unmasked to the vast masses. The bloody and
violent track of Aquino�s �righteous path� has been unleashed. With
these, the Aquino regime has gone desperate. They are outraged with
the resoluteness exhibited by the Filipino people to resist the
regime�s fascist rule in the country.
The persistent struggle of the Filipino people defied the regime�s
Oplan Bayanihan. Surely, the AFP will become more aggressive in
suppressing the political struggles of the people, especially the
armed struggle being waged in the countryside. They will meet the
abhorrence of the Filipino people with further atrocities. For
certain, the military situation in the region will change. The
revolutionary movement across the country must heighten its fight
against the counterrevolutionary war of suppression by the fascist
reactionary government.
In the face of these events, NDFP-ST calls on the NPA, allied
organizations, organs of political power and the entire
revolutionary people of Southern Tagalog to heighten and bolster
their resolve to frustrate the counterrevolutionary onslaughts of
the US-Aquino regime, raise their ability to fight in all fronts and
gear up for more intense armed and political struggles to
effectively deliver the share of the revolutionary movement in
Southern Tagalog in achieving the dramatic leap of the people�s war
in the whole country to a new height.
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