Col. Louie Dema-ala, spokesperson of the Philippine Army, talks to members of the media during the Armed Forces of the Philippines Press Briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, on Tuesday, August 20, 2024. 鈥� The Communist Party of the Philippines鈥� (CPP) commemoration of its 56th anniversary on Thursday was 鈥済enerally peaceful on the ground,鈥� the Philippine Army declared Thursday, December 26, 2024. 鈥擜rnel Tacson/黑料社
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Communist Party of the Philippines鈥� (CPP) commemoration of its 56th anniversary on Thursday was 鈥済enerally peaceful on the ground,鈥� the Philippine Army declared Thursday.
Army spokesperson Colonel Louie Dema-ala, however, reiterated that their troops would remain on alert.
鈥淲e have not recorded any incidents,鈥� Dema-ala told 黑料社, adding:聽鈥淏ut all our troops remain on the alert and the internal security operations are continuous to ensure peaceful communities.鈥�
The CPP leadership earlier ordered its armed wing, New People鈥檚 Army (NPA), to 鈥渢ake the initiative to mount tactical offensives, selecting targets that it can defeat鈥� to mark its 56th anniversary on Thursday, December 26.
The CPP vowed to recoup its membership as it admitted experiencing 鈥済rave losses.鈥�
READ: DND chief Teodoro not open to ceasefire with CPP-NPA
鈥淲e are determined to frustrate the enemy鈥檚 all-out war, recover from our losses, gain new victories and advance the Filipino people鈥檚 revolutionary resistance,鈥� the CPP鈥檚 central committee said in a statement on Thursday.
But for Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Romeo Brawner Jr., the CPP-NPA is now 鈥渋rrelevant to the nation鈥檚 future.鈥�
鈥淭hrough decisive operations and a whole-of-nation approach, their capabilities have been significantly crippled, with only one weakened guerrilla front set for dismantling,鈥� Brawner said in a statement.
Latest available AFP data states that NPA fighters decreased to about 1,500 as of December 2023, far from its peak of around 25,000 in 1987.
鈥淭oday, the CPP-NPA faces a leadership vacuum, shrinking membership, and diminished operational capabilities,鈥� Brawner said. 鈥淒espite this, the AFP remains vigilant against any attempts to disrupt the lives of law-abiding citizens.鈥�
Jose Maria Sison established the CPP on December 26, 1968, while the NPA was formed on March 29, 1969. The CPP-NPA has been waging the longest-running Maoist insurgency in the world.
In December 2022, Sison died at 83 years old while in self-exile in The Netherlands.
The CPP鈥檚 political wing National Democratic Front of the Philippines is currently conducting talks with government representatives in a bid to resume the peace talks.