Marcos: No more active NPA guerrilla fronts

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said Saturday that the New People's Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), no longer has an active guerilla front.

"Last year, nakapag-neutralize tayo ng 1,399 of communist and local terrorist groups. Nakakuha tayo ng 1,751 firearms, through capture, confiscation, and recovery or surrender," Marcos said on an Instagram Reel.

(Last year, we neutralized 1,399 [members] of communist and local terrorist groups. We obtained 1,751 firearms, through capture, confiscation, and recovery or surrender.)

"Ngayon maaari na nating mai-report na wala nang active NPA guerrilla fronts as of December of 2023," Marcos said.

(Now we can report that there are no active NPA guerrilla fronts as of December of 2023.)

The President's latest pronouncement comes after recent similar statements from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) about the communist rebels' alleged weakened state.

Last November, the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front (NDF), which represents the CPP-NPA in the political arena, announced separately that both sides have agreed to resume the stalled peace negotiations after their representatives signed a joint statement for a "principled and peaceful resolution to the armed conflict."

On the same day, AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said the NPA only had 20 "weakend fronts" that were expected to dwindle to 15 by the end of 2023.

Come Jan. 3, the NTF-ELCAC reported that NPA active guerilla fronts were "on their last leg" as only 14 of these remained.

Now, the President said the government would continue dismantling guerrilla fronts as the police and military forces have been significantly enhancing the country's internal security.

"These accomplishments underscore our steadfast commitment to peace and stability," Marcos added.

The President has offered amnesty to rebels, including former members of the CPP-NPA-NDF, to encourage rebels to return to the fold of the law. — VDV, GMA Integrated News