Sobejana on NPA anniversary: AFP addressing rebel group’s capability to generate new leaders

Armed Forces chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana on Tuesday said they are addressing the potential of the New People's Army (NPA) to generate new leaders as the rebel group marked its 52nd anniversary.

In a statement, Sobejana called the rebellion of the NPA a failure, adding that the Armed Forces will render the “ageing leadership” of the NPA irrelevant.

“The communist terrorists’ fifty-two years of so-called rebellion is an utter failure as it only resulted to loss of lives and destruction to government and private properties,” he said.

“We shall render the CPP-NPA's ageing leadership irrelevant while also addressing the organization's capability to generate new leaders and recruit members,” he added.

According to Sobejana, these rebels remain to be one of the “greatest hindrances” to peace and development in some areas in the Philippines.

The AFP will keep on pressuring the NPA members terrorists to surrender to the government and return to mainstream society through its conventional and non-conventional military operations, he added.

“We call on the entire Filipino nation to help the government in putting an end to the CPP-NPA’s decades-long violence,” Sobejana said.

“It is with unity that we will be able to convince our misled brothers and sisters to end the armed struggle and embrace genuine peace and development,” he added.

Defense chief Delfin Lorenzana earlier called for the end of years of “terrorism and destruction” as the NPA marked its 52nd founding anniversary on Monday.

Lorenzana reiterated his vow that there will be no let up in their operations against the NPA rebels. — Joviland Rita/RSJ, GMA News