ANGELES CITY – The Philippine Army has reactivated the 81st infantry battalion under its 7th infantry division ”to effectively and finally address the remaining threat of the Sangay Partido sa Platun (SPP)” of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Central Luzon, even as the NPA vowed to muscle up forces against it.
The reactivation of the battalion was immediately countered by the NPA’s Domingo Erlano Command which, in a statement yesterday, condemned saying it was part of a “virtual martial law in Central Luzon, particularly in Aurora province amid growing militarization in the countrysides”.
The NPA statement insisted that the revival of the 81st IB was designed to pave the way for the powerful Angara clan to pursue projects which are now displacing Aurora folk.
“Hundreds of local folk are now being asked to leave public lands they have been tilling for generations to that foreign investors could take over,” the statement said.
The 7th ID said Lt. Col. Ramon Linasan was appointed commander of the 81st IB which is under the operational control of the 702nd IB based in Bongabong, Nueva Ecija.
The reactivation of the battalion was in accordance with General Order No. 280 of the Philippine Army, it added.
“The activation of the 81st Infantry Battalion was initiated to effectively and finally address the remaining threat of the Sangay Partido sa Platun (SPP) of the Communist Terrorist Movement operating in Central Luzon, specially in the tri-boundaries of Aurora, Nueva Ecija and Nueva Viscaya,” the order said.
The order cited the importance of the reactivation of the 81st IB, noting that “Central Luzon is close to the seat of government” as well as the region’s “strategic importance to internal security operations campaign.”
“With the activation of the 81st IB, we are assured that our present counter-insurgency campaign is now relevant, effective and focused in hastening the eventual defeat of the communist terrorists movement by the end of 2010” said 7th ID commander Maj. Gen. Ralph Villanueva.
Andrei Cervante, spokesman of the NPA’s Erlino Domingo Command, decried military operations allegedly victimizing ordinary folk in Ma. Aurora, San Luis, Casiguran and Dilasag in Aurora.
“Even former NPA rebels are forced to pretend to be active and then surrender to make it appear that the Arroyo government is winning its war against rebels,” he said.
He said the NPA will fight back and is holding the 81st IB for the killing of many civilians even before it was deactivated a few years ago.
Only last Thursday night, the Domingo Erlano Command rebels burned thousands of dwarf coconut seedlings at a nursery of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) in Dinalungan, Aurora to protest displacement of local farmers.
The Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) said the armed NPA rebels entered the gate of the PCA “and without warning burned the guard house and its three machines, including two shredders”.
“The rebels also destroyed the PCA’s sugar cane plantation with 13,000 seedlings planted on it,” Nolcom said.
The NPA statement said that coconut plantation was one of the government projects that “aims to concentrate and privatize public lands in the hands of a few influential people in Aurora, as well as foreign investors” under the so-called Aurora Development Plan initiated by Sen. Edgardo Angara and his sister Aurora Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo.
It said this is already “being done at the Aurora Special Economic Zone in Casiguran, the Food Basket Zone in Maria Aurora, the international ports in Dingalan, Casiguran and Dilasag, all wharves in coastal towns and even in mountains and seas.”
But for Nolcom, the burning incident last Thursday was “a blatant expression of the (NPA’s) misdemeanor and inhumane acts.”
“They are after the destruction of important projects intended for the people’s growth and development,” said 7th infantry division commander Maj. Gen. Ralph Villanueva.
Despite the attack in Aurora, Nolcom spokesperson Maj. Rosendo Armas said the military is on its track in crushing the NPA by 2010 as directed by Pres. Arroyo.
He said, however, that the NPA still has six guerilla fronts in the Ilocos-Cordillera area and another two fronts in the Cagayan area. A front, he said, is equivalent to a military company with some 100 members.
Armas said that in Central Luzon, the NPA no longer has fronts, but maintains smaller “samahan ng partido platun”. The incident in Aurora last Thursday, he said, was apparently done by mere platoons.
He explained that while a platoon in the military is normally composed of 21 members, the NPA’s platoon is believed to consist only of three members. The use of the word platoon by the rebels was apparently designed to mislead, he added.
The reactivation of the battalion was immediately countered by the NPA’s Domingo Erlano Command which, in a statement yesterday, condemned saying it was part of a “virtual martial law in Central Luzon, particularly in Aurora province amid growing militarization in the countrysides”.
The NPA statement insisted that the revival of the 81st IB was designed to pave the way for the powerful Angara clan to pursue projects which are now displacing Aurora folk.
“Hundreds of local folk are now being asked to leave public lands they have been tilling for generations to that foreign investors could take over,” the statement said.
The 7th ID said Lt. Col. Ramon Linasan was appointed commander of the 81st IB which is under the operational control of the 702nd IB based in Bongabong, Nueva Ecija.
The reactivation of the battalion was in accordance with General Order No. 280 of the Philippine Army, it added.
“The activation of the 81st Infantry Battalion was initiated to effectively and finally address the remaining threat of the Sangay Partido sa Platun (SPP) of the Communist Terrorist Movement operating in Central Luzon, specially in the tri-boundaries of Aurora, Nueva Ecija and Nueva Viscaya,” the order said.
The order cited the importance of the reactivation of the 81st IB, noting that “Central Luzon is close to the seat of government” as well as the region’s “strategic importance to internal security operations campaign.”
“With the activation of the 81st IB, we are assured that our present counter-insurgency campaign is now relevant, effective and focused in hastening the eventual defeat of the communist terrorists movement by the end of 2010” said 7th ID commander Maj. Gen. Ralph Villanueva.
Andrei Cervante, spokesman of the NPA’s Erlino Domingo Command, decried military operations allegedly victimizing ordinary folk in Ma. Aurora, San Luis, Casiguran and Dilasag in Aurora.
“Even former NPA rebels are forced to pretend to be active and then surrender to make it appear that the Arroyo government is winning its war against rebels,” he said.
He said the NPA will fight back and is holding the 81st IB for the killing of many civilians even before it was deactivated a few years ago.
Only last Thursday night, the Domingo Erlano Command rebels burned thousands of dwarf coconut seedlings at a nursery of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) in Dinalungan, Aurora to protest displacement of local farmers.
The Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) said the armed NPA rebels entered the gate of the PCA “and without warning burned the guard house and its three machines, including two shredders”.
“The rebels also destroyed the PCA’s sugar cane plantation with 13,000 seedlings planted on it,” Nolcom said.
The NPA statement said that coconut plantation was one of the government projects that “aims to concentrate and privatize public lands in the hands of a few influential people in Aurora, as well as foreign investors” under the so-called Aurora Development Plan initiated by Sen. Edgardo Angara and his sister Aurora Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo.
It said this is already “being done at the Aurora Special Economic Zone in Casiguran, the Food Basket Zone in Maria Aurora, the international ports in Dingalan, Casiguran and Dilasag, all wharves in coastal towns and even in mountains and seas.”
But for Nolcom, the burning incident last Thursday was “a blatant expression of the (NPA’s) misdemeanor and inhumane acts.”
“They are after the destruction of important projects intended for the people’s growth and development,” said 7th infantry division commander Maj. Gen. Ralph Villanueva.
Despite the attack in Aurora, Nolcom spokesperson Maj. Rosendo Armas said the military is on its track in crushing the NPA by 2010 as directed by Pres. Arroyo.
He said, however, that the NPA still has six guerilla fronts in the Ilocos-Cordillera area and another two fronts in the Cagayan area. A front, he said, is equivalent to a military company with some 100 members.
Armas said that in Central Luzon, the NPA no longer has fronts, but maintains smaller “samahan ng partido platun”. The incident in Aurora last Thursday, he said, was apparently done by mere platoons.
He explained that while a platoon in the military is normally composed of 21 members, the NPA’s platoon is believed to consist only of three members. The use of the word platoon by the rebels was apparently designed to mislead, he added.
