Another Guerilla Front of the communist-led New People’s Army (NPA) in Compostela Valley has been declared dissolved after series of military operations that weakened its strength.
This was bared by 10th Infantry Division (ID) spokesperson Capt. Jerry S. Lamosao on Wednesday’s AFP- PNP Press Corps media briefing here. Lamosao said the Guerilla Front 25, Sub-regional Committee 1, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee, was dismantled in accordance with the AFP-PNP Joint LetterDirective 3.
Lamosao said the first that affected their strength happened on January 20, this year when 24 regular members of the said front surrendered to the 66th Infantry Battalion– leaving the strength of the communist terrorist group to the least with two dead members, several wounded who were forced to lie low and the capture of26 high powered and several low powered firearms.
“Another encounter in mid-June 2018 further enhanced the total dissolution of the group with a remaining strength of nine personnel and for failing to recruit at least one squad,” he said.
Other members of this group, according to Lamosao, surrendered bringing the strength of the groupto five fighters. Attempt to rebuild the squad failed.
Lamosao said this front of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee lost its mass base when the Komiteng Rebolusyonaryo sa Munisipalidad (KRM) with seven ( Komiteng Rebolusyonaryo sa Baryo) surrendered to the 66th IB in the first semester of this year.
“This caused the legal front Compostela Farmer’s Association to finally lose its grounds and cease to exist. The resource generating mechanism of the Guerilla Front was broken and destroyed,” he added.
Lamosao noted how the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) was defeated by the rage of workers in Compostela. He said the people literally took justice into their own hands as the KMU strikers defied the orders of the court and the assumption of jurisdiction of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Earlier this year, the 66th IB has dismantled Guerilla Front 27, Sub-regional Committee 2 which has many members.
