CPP belies Esperon claim of reduced NPA force

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) laughed off Wednesday Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr's claim that the New People's Army's strength has been reduced by 900 since the start of 2007. In a statement posted on its website (www.philippinerevolution.net), CPP spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal said Esperon's claim is meant to cover up the AFP's "embarassing" losses in battles with the NPA. "The AFP has not won any significant armed victory against the NPA this year, and has in fact suffered several significantly damaging losses in the past several months. On the other hand, the NPA has consistently been earning one victory after another in its recent series of big and small tactical offensives against Arroyo's fascist troops," he said. Rosal cited the lighting predawn raid at the Davao Penal Colony last April 6 where an NPA unit seized 101 firearms including at least 50 high-powered rifles without firing a single shot. He also cited encounters last May 12 to 16 in the Mt. Province and Abra border area where 13 soldiers and one paramilitary member were killed in action. On June 7, an NPA ambush against an undersized company of the AFP's 28th IB in Monkayo, Compostela Valley killed at least 15 Army soldiers. Rosal added that such heavy losses of AFP forces in the battles with the NPA belie Esperon's further boast that the military can achieve the "strategic defeat" of the NPA by 2010. "The NPA victories in the past months show that the people's army is continuously gathering strength as it brings the people's war to a new and higher level," said Rosal. - GMANews.TV