THE 10TH Infantry Division has assured the public that there will be no resurgence of the New People’s Army (NPA) despite recent reports of the group’s presence in Davao Oriental.
While the division acknowledges the sightings, it maintains that its troops are actively pursuing and dismantling the remaining NPA units in the region.
Major Ruben Gadut, the division’s public affairs chief, explained that the military is conducting focused military operations to target the NPA’s remaining leadership and armed components.
“The validation is ongoing but of course, our troops are in relentless pursuit of the NPA remnants because we want to hit the target before 2024 ends and to dismantle the whole Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC).”
He emphasized that the group’s strength has significantly diminished, with many of its units and sub-regional committees dismantled.
Gadut acknowledged that some NPA members may still be operating in small groups, making them harder to track.
“For this year, there were 58 focused military operations. We don’t do combat operations without intelligence,” he said, adding they don’t launch an operation without vetting the intelligence report first.
He added they monitored and chased after some NPA remnants, which is why they apprehended three communist guerrillas in Cotabato City recently. “They dispersed into smaller groups and as a result, it’s more difficult to hunt them down,” he said.
Gadut explained that the group’s current state is more focused on self-preservation than conducting large-scale operations. The military’s continuous pressure has limited the NPA’s ability to recruit, extort, or conduct other activities.
While the military remains vigilant, Gadut emphasized that the overall trend is towards the further weakening and eventual elimination of the NPA remnants.
Photo courtesy of Bing Gonzales
