NPA ordered to wage all-out war vs US forces in Mindanao

The National Democratic Front in Mindanao on Saturday vowed to wage an all-out struggle against US forces there, following the visit to the US of Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. NDF spokesman Jorge “Ka Oris" Madlos issued the call after US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that the US will continue to involve itself in the “counter-insurgency" war. “US imperialism has become ever more arrogant and overbearing in asserting its imperial power over the Philippines. It is trampling on Philippine sovereignty with utter impunity emboldened by the outright puppetry and servility of the Arroyo government," Madlos said in a statement on the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) website (www.philippinerevolution.net). Madlos warned US soldiers against encroaching in guerrilla fronts where “there is a great possibility of armed encounters with the New People’s Army (NPA)." The NPA is the armed wing of the CPP-led NDF, an umbrella organization of leftist groups in the country. Madlos noted that Teodoro echoed the US position after meeting with Gates and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Leon Panetta. The meetings aimed to bring “to a high gear" the defense and security cooperation between the US and Philippines.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV According to Madlos, the US military has established its permanent presence in the country through the auspices of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). The Armed Forces of the Philippines could not be immediately reached for comment. Under the VFA, it succeeded in permanently stationing the 600-force Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) in several areas in Mindanao. Several thousand US soldiers have been allowed to enter the Philippines purportedly to participate in the annual Balikatan joint military exercises, the NDF added. “US military forces have been increasingly involved in counter-guerrilla operations. Its troops are engaged in electronic and satellite surveillance as well as provide battlefield logistical support. Teams of US soldiers have been seen embedded in AFP units in combat field operations as well as in tactical command posts (TCPs)," the NDF Mindanao said. “The patriotic people of Mindanao do not welcome the permanent presence and intervention of US troops in Mindanao and elsewhere in the Philippines. They are not deceived by the so-called humanitarian operations being conducted by the US that aim to camouflage their military interventionism," Madlos said. The VFA is the subject of a review by an oversight committee of senators and congressmen amid criticisms not just against the continued stay of US forces in the country but also their alleged involvement in actual combat. Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago has said she may recommend to the Senate the abrogation of the VFA after learning about a report wherein a US military commander allegedly admitted that US troops were engaged in combat operations in the Philippines. Santiago, co-chairperson of the Legislative Oversight Committee on the VFA, claimed that Col. David Maxwell, commander of the Joint Special Operations Task Force of the Philippines, was quoted in a publication by the Focus on the Global saying the "Philippine Constitution does not prohibit combat operations and provides an exception to this, if there is a treaty in force." - GMANews.TV