CATBALOGAN, Samar – If
there had been a series of skirmishes between the army and the NPA
rebels these are legitimate encounters in a bid to vanquish the enemy.
These were the bold pronouncements of the 8th Infantry
Division, Philippine Army Inspector General LtCol. Manuelito Usi
during the Catbalogan Cable TV Media Advocates Nucleus (CCATMAN)
Weekly Kapehan.
Usi said that the
troops are now in a full battle gear relentless operations to crush
the enemies of the state. He said they will not be given a chance to
recover and move about. Speaking both on TV and on radio where he was
also guest in PIAs Huruhimangraw, Usi challenged the NPAs whom
he calls enemies of the state to face the soldiers boldly.
He also called them
“bobo” because he said they could not spell coffee and king flakes in
the list that was part of the recovered documents in a camp overtaken
by the government troops. The camp located in San Jose de Buan was
believed to be serving as a hospital because of the equipments. The
government troops also recovered a generator, and computers.
The official also said
that the NPAs are recruiting low quality cadre because they could not
recruit better ones, Usi noted. The Samar populace he said are now
aware of the deception the NPAs employ, so they could not recruit the
more educated ones.
Usi also mentioned
that despite the left celebrating the 37th anniversary, this could be
their loneliest anniversary, he said because of the series of defeats
that the army has inflicted on them.
The army official said
their success is partly because of the civilians who relay information
about unusual activities in their area. The enemy, he said is now on
the run and may eventually be cornered. They will be searched
everywhere, even in the forest, in the hills and even in urban areas.
The enemy, he said is everywhere. But we are closing in on them!, he
fearlessly said over the radio.
As of 2004, Usi said
that there are are just a little above a thousand NPAs where some 600
only are armed. The official believes that their (NPA) force has
declined through the years. Though Usi is also concerned about the
backing of some legal NPA fronts, he still boldly announced his quest
to topple down the NPA and crush them in the battlefields.
While Usi was so
passionate about his cause, his buddy Maj. Mangintonong Tocalo of the
8th ID Civil Military Operations Unit urged the rebels to
surrender and avail of the government program on Bring a Rifle,
Improve your Livelihood (BARIL) where an NPA can exchange his arms
with a livelihood package that would sustain him as he returns to
mainstream society.
