Rebels urged to surrender

CEBU CITY – The Philippine military has renewed its call for communist rebels in the Visayas region to surrender peacefully and to take advantage of the government’s amnesty offer and live a peaceful life with their families.

Army Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, chief of the Visayas Command (VisCom), said the number of the New People’s Army (NPA) is steadily decreasing due to the mass surrender of rebels and continued military campaign against those who wage terrorism.

“The door of genuine peace remains open for you. Grab the opportunity and take it while you still have the chance. Follow the lead of your former comrades, lay down your arms, return to the folds of the law, and live a peaceful life with your families,” Arevalo said, adding, the NPA

Arevalo said the NPA is crumbling as they continue to lose their foothold in the Visayas. “The remaining communist fighters have only two options, either to stay on the course of their false armed struggle and fall to the long arms of justice, or return to the fold of the law and enjoy a peaceful and progressive life with their loved ones,” he said.

Philippines military chief General Andres Centino has also ordered the deployment of additional troops in the Visayas. He said the deployment of more soldiers in the region is necessary to further intensify the campaign against the rebel group, especially in Samar and Negros provinces where the NPA is operating.

“It is important for the Visayas Command to be on top of the situation, supervise the activities of the different Joint Task Forces, and ensure that the plans are understood and implemented on the ground,” Centino said.

He did not say how many troops, military air crafts and navy boats were being deployed in the Visayas.

The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. CPP founder Jose Maria Sison, 83, died in exile in The Netherlands in December 2022.

Sison had lived in self-exile in The Netherlands since then-President Corazon Aquino released him from detention in 1986, shortly after the “People Power” revolt overthrew dictator Ferdinand Marcos, the father and namesake of the current Philippine president. 

Battle setbacks, surrenders and infighting, however, have weakened the guerrilla group, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and remains a major Philippine security threat. The communist rebellion has left about 40,000 combatants and civilians dead. It also has stunted economic development, especially in the countryside, where the military says about 3,500 insurgents are still active. 

Past administrations had engaged in on and off peace negotiations with communist rebels represented by the umbrella organization National Democratic Front of the Philippines, where Sison served as chief political consultant. Former President Rodrigo Duterte ended peace talks in March 2019, and negotiations have not resumed. (John Rey Saavedra, Priam Nepomuceno, AP, Cebu Examiner)