AFP official admits waging all-out war vs. NPA not an easy task

Armed Forces of the Philippines public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo admitted Tuesday that waging an all-out war against the New People’s Army would not be an easy task for government troops, but they have to do their job.

“This is not going to be an easy one, it’s not easy to fight your own people, it’s not easy to fight the NPA rebels who are trying to hold on to communities,” Arevalo told reporters.

He said the AFP has to fulfill the task given to them by the President in order to achieve lasting peace.

“For all intents and purposes, if we are to attain a lasting peace, if we are to end this particular war that we have been fighting for more than four decades now, then we have to defeat them and their capabilities and all other aspects of their being able to fight government is concerned,” he said.

Earlier in Malacañang, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said there is now an all-out war against the communist rebels after President Rodrigo Duterte described them as terrorists. 

Asked on the next steps they will take, Arevalo said they will continue their efforts in Northeastern Mindanao but they have no plan yet of bringing additional troops.

“Wala tayong idadagdag na puwersa, at least, as of today upang i-augment yung personnel natin na kasalukuyang nago-operate doon. As we said we already have enough personnel, equipment, and units in those areas that we are now operating and we are thus far successful,” he said.

He said they are going to make use of all the available assets of the AFP to accomplish their mission.

“When we say all out war bukod sa sinasabing ito ay magiging deliberate, magiging focused, magiging surgical, magiging planned, ang intention natin is to defeat the enemy, to defeat the New People’s Army, not only their military capability but also the infrastructure, the support system, if there are still remaining, and destroy the enemy's will to fight,” he said. — Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News