FILE PHOTO: Young New People聮s Army (NPA) rebels stand in formation during the anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in a town in Misamis Oriental province on Dec. 26, 2016. (Jigger J. Jerusalem)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Monday admitted that its armed wing, the New People鈥檚 Army (NPA), suffered from setbacks in previous years.
However, CPP spokesperson Marco Valbuena said that the NPA is far from defeated in response to the Armed Forces of the Philippines鈥� (AFP) assertion that the Maoist armed group has no more active guerrilla fronts.
READ: 鈥楾here are no more active guerilla fronts,鈥� declares AFP
鈥淒espite having suffered from setbacks over the past years, the NPA is far from defeated,鈥� Valbuena said in a statement.
鈥淯nder the guidance of the Party, the NPA has learned its lessons and is determined to frustrate the AFP鈥檚 brutal offensives,鈥� he added.
President Ferdinand 鈥淏ongbong鈥� Marcos Jr. reiterated AFP鈥檚 claim over the weekend, which Valbuena said left the NPA 鈥渋ncredulous.鈥�
READ: Marcos: No active NPA guerrilla fronts as of December 2023
鈥淢arcos Jr. is in dreamland when he claims there are no more active NPA guerrilla fronts,鈥� the official also stressed.
鈥淭he NPA will make sure that it will outlast Marcos, just like it outlasted his father,鈥� he added.
The NPA is now down to about 1,500 members as of Dec. 2023, far from its peak of around 25,000 in 1987, according to AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar.
READ: NPA down to around 1,500 fighters鈥揂FP
Established on March 29, 1969, the聽NPA聽has been waging the longest-running Maoist insurgency in the world.
CPP鈥檚 political wing, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, is now exploring the possibility of resuming peace talks with the government.