No lockdown for the NPA

By Modesto P. Sa-onoy

It seems that while the country is on a lock down or under the Enhanced or General Community Quarantine the order of the government has no bearing on the New People’s Army. That is expected of the insurgents’ intent in doing everything within their power to topple the present government and replace it with their own kind.

The present situation in the country is probably viewed by the communist leadership as an opportunity to strike while the police are focused on enforcing the quarantine and the other agencies of government are busy trying to stop the spread of the disease and helping the stricken to recover.

Fortunately, the army has not been mobilized to assist in the anti covid-19 campaign and had remained alert against the NPA attacks. The communist insurgents did attack Himamaylan and Victorias. In Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan, the rebels killed three soldiers and injured four others. In the attack against Philippine Army soldiers assisting in the distribution of the social amelioration fund in Victorias, two soldiers were injured.

With the public focused on the latest development in the fight against the virus, especially the infected and death counts, the encounters in Himamaylan and Victorias escaped public attention.

I believe it was opportunistic if not cowardly for the NPA to attack the soldiers helping ease the lives of the poor. Did not the NPA and their leaders ensconced and safe in The Netherlands declare they are for the poor and the victims of injustice? I would consider the armed encounter or fire fight or even an ambuscade against government troops an expected clash but not when the soldiers were helping distribute packages for the masses.

Of course, in a war the protagonists take every opportunity to strike at the opponent, but the situation of the country today is in a crisis because of the pandemic. Even the worst of enemies in other countries have ceased fighting to defeat a common enemy.

But it seems the NPA with its avowed or taunted “love for the people” apparently could not care less if the government assistance fund do not reach the intended beneficiaries.

For indeed, who would go to the barangay to distribute the fund assistance and expose themselves to an armed assault from the NPA?

Under the present circumstances the NPA is acting not like fighters of a people’s revolution, but as the drug cartels that have also taken advantage of the present international crisis when the law enforcers are busy containing the virus.

Fortunately, the army has not been mobilized to man the checkpoints or enforce the quarantine but the unit in Victorias exposed themselves to the rebels. They probably thought the communists will not attack them because they were doing a humanitarian work. Now they know that the NPA knows no lockdown or humanitarian work. The soldiers were simply enemies to be wiped out.

The NPAs were taunting the President to declare martial law because they know from experience that their heydays were the days of martial law. They had never reached to high and so powerful than during that period. Three years later, their advantage began to decline to what they are now.

From a strategic point of view, martial will surely boost their position as the vanguard against human rights. The problem with martial law is that there is a tendency among law enforcers to be brusque and abusive knowing that they are beyond the reach of civil law.

Yesterday, the President noted the assault on soldiers on humanitarian mission and reiterated his threat to declare martial. Whether he really would or when is nobody’s guess, but he said that there will be no more talks with the communists.

People prefer talking even for extended period than shooting. With a peace talk out the NPA will be intensifying their armed operations.

The army is prepared for that but the death of four soldiers in Himamaylan is a minus point. The army has not explained the circumstances of so many fatalities on their side. Counting the “traces of blood” to count the “fatalities” on the other side is not conclusive. People prefer to see the body and the NPA knows that, the reason they bring their dead and wounded with them.

The recent incidents show the NPA do not bother with the lockdown or people in need.