Defense chief Lorenzana: It’s an all-out war vs. NPA

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Tuesday said government forces are waging an all-out war against the New People's Army (NPA).

“Yes, it is an all-out war kasi they are considered by the President already as terrorists. We also consider them as terrorists,” Lorenzana said at a press briefing in Malacañang.

“Ano bang pagkakaiba nila sa Abu Sayyaf? The Abu Sayyaf kidnap people and then they get money. The NPA will threaten those businessmen and also get money. There’s no difference at all. They are there to terrorize people, to giving them money, that’s extortion. So we will hunt them down and maybe stop them from doing what they are doing,” he added.

But the defense chief stressed that the all-out war will be only against the armed component of the rebel group, which is around 5,000 per Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“Ang sinasabi nilang all-out war is to -- target-in na namin ‘yung mga armed component. Hindi naman namin tatargetin ‘yung mga peaceful-loving supporters diyan na nag-aano, nagfa-farming. We will not… Hindi naman sila gagalawin. It’s only the armed component that we are going after because they are the ones who can go around and intimidate people, ‘yung mga may armas,” he said.

The defense chief said the NPA is a big security threat in the country because of their extortion activities in communities.

“Malaking banta sila sa seguridad ng Pilipinas ‘yung New People’s Army dahil sa mga ginagawa nila sa mga barangays. Trying to consolidate barangays, threatening them, they continue to extort money from businessmen in the, especially in the south, ‘yung mga minahan diyan, plantations, any businessmen that they can -- especially contractors, mga contractors ng mga kalsada. We know somebody has been paying two percent of their gross cost of their projects to the NPA,” he said.

“So threat sila kasi they can, you know, they are there, they can always launch attacks to our troops. Nakita naman ninyo kung gaano sila atakihin ‘yung foresters diyan sa Batangas. Pinasok nila ‘yung isang resort diyan under the guise of the military. Ito ‘yung kinakatakutan namin diyan sa Defense at saka sa AFP that they can just go inside an area, do their thing and then just get away and then melt into the countryside. So they are a threat actually,” he added.

Lorenzana also assured the public that the AFP will commit no human rights violations as they go after the NPA.

“We will see to it that those abuses will not be committed again. It is bad for the image of the military. Alam mo nawawalan ng kredibilidad ‘yung military pagka umaabuso sila. And we try to avoid that. I have been a commander before on the ground and I really do not want -- did not want these pe[ople] --  prevent my people from doing those,” he said.

“I’ll really punish them, discharge them or bring them to court kung meron gumagawa ng ganoon,” he added.

On Sunday, President Rodrigo Duterte said he now considers the NPA a terrorist group after he terminated the ceasefire and peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

Earlier, Lorenzana and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza recommended to Duterte to maintain the government's unilateral ceasefire until three soldiers were killed in Bukidnon and a young lieutenant in Davao Oriental.

“Iyon kasi ang parang naging last straw na ano. Niloloko n’yo ako eh. Hindi pa effective ang ceasefire n’yo, pumapatay na kayo ng mga sundalo,” Lorenzana said, partly quoting Duterte. — RSJ, GMA News