DUMAGUETE CITY: Anti-insurgency operations in Negros Oriental will continue in the wake of the death of Jose Maria “Joma” Sison, the founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), and in anticipation of the CPP’s anniversary on Dec. 26, an Army official said on Monday.
Brig. Gen. Leonardo Peña, head of the 302nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army based in Negros Oriental, said during a Kapihan sa PIA forum here, although Sison only held a “symbolic leadership” of the CPP over the past several years, many of his supporters still consider him as their head and glorified him.
“He was no longer actually directly running the affairs of the CPP-NPA because he was already sick and old but the insurgents still held a high regard for him and in fact, some former rebels said they looked at Sison as godlike,” Peña said in mixed English and Filipino.
He noted social media posts and online content “singing praises” for Sison following his death, which could spur the NPA to carry out atrocities.
“The glorification of Sison’s death could lead to his supporters capitalizing on this to gain or regain the sympathy of the masses, and we must be able to pre-empt such activities,” Peña said in mixed English and Filipino.
Sison died at the age of 83 on Dec. 16 in Utrecht, The Netherlands where he was on self-exile since 1986.
The CPP announced a 10-day mourning for him with reports that “military honors” such as a 21-gun salute be given him, which Peña said was a reflection of the “terrorist group’s desire to establish a new government in the Philippines”.
Peña expressed hopes that Sison’s death will diminish further the current strength of the rebel movement in Negros Oriental.
“This could be the start of the complete downfall of the insurgency in Negros Oriental,” he said.
In a security briefer during the forum, Peña said there are only about 47 armed NPA guerillas left in Negros Oriental, with two guerilla fronts “weakening” and one dismantled.
He, however, said they would not let their guard down, citing that with every armed rebel having at least 10 non-combatant supporters, there would still be around 470 CPP-NPA members in the province
Source: Philippines News Agency
