The New People's Army yesterday marked its anniversary, which the military described as "37 years of continued atrocities committed against the Filipino people," especially in the Western Visayas region.

Records of the 3rd Infantry Division showed that 15 summary execution activities were perpetrated by the New People's Army in Negros and Panay alone from February last year to March this year, victimizing 19 people, including civilians suspected as military informants, Army intelligence operatives, members of the rival communist rebel faction, militiamen and rebel returnees.

Capt. Renante Besa, 3rd ID public information officer, said, that while they CPP-NPA projects an image of being pro-people and fighting for the freedom of the oppressed, history tells of their anti-people acts such as liquidations, extortion activities, exploitation of women and minors, bombing, burning of telecommunication facilities and other terroristic acts that greatly affect the peace and development of a community.

Military records show that the CPP-NPA also harassed nine Army detachments and raided a police outpost in Escalante, burned and strafed Globe Telecom cellsites in Iloilo and Capiz, among others recently.

While the Philippine Army is committed to serve and protect the people, the New People's Army, on the other hand, sows terror among the populace, Besa said.

Meanwhile, Supt. Pedrito Escarilla, BCPO intelligence chief, yesterday said it is remote for the NPA to launch attacks against any police stations in Bacolod City, because they are having a hard time establishing their "refuge areas" in the city.

Escarilla, however, said he has ordered intelligence operatives to focus their monitoring on the areas covered by Police Precincts 6, 7 and 8, which are identified to be vulnerable to rebel attacks.*GPB/DMG

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