AFP intensifies offensives vs NPA which celebrates 41st anniversary

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has intensified its offensives against the New People's Army (NPA) in anticipation of more attacks from the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which is celebrating its 41st anniversary on March 29. “We expect that every year during their anniversary they step up attacks on vital installations, on goverment troops," AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. told GMANews.TV over the phone Monday. “Ang best defense natin would be offense kaya pinag-igting natin ang operations natin," Brawner said. (The best defense is offense so we have intensified our operations)." Brawner said the encounter in Mindoro Saturday morning where eleven soldiers were killed and seven others were injured were part of these operations. The AFP has also beefed up the number of troops deployed to NPA-infested areas, including Mindoro, Brawner added. A day after the encounter in Mindoro, government forces and NPA members exchanged fire in Negros Occidental, resulting in the deaths of an Army lieutenant and five communist rebels. In a statement on its website, the CPP said the AFP is "bound to suffer bigger losses this year." "The Mindoro tactical offensive will be surpassed several times over by more NPA tactical offensives in various provinces. NPA Red fighters are keen on seizing the biggest ever number of weapons from the AFP in the coming months as growing numbers of NPA recruits need to be armed," the statement said. The Communist Party of the Philippines said it has directed the NPA to launch more tactical offensives to meet its goal of a "strategic stalemate" by mid-decade. "The tactical offensive is just punishment for the hideous crimes and human rights abuses perpetrated by the fascist troops of the AFP," it said. The CPP laughed off the AFP's launching of several division-size operations in different regions since the start of the year, saying such operations have consistently been rebuffed by the maneuvers and counter-offensives of the NPA. "The AFP's repeated promise to reduce the armed revolution to insignificance if not decimate it by the end of last year has blown up in its face," it said. - GMANews.TV