CPP-NPA rebels mark 45th year rite with '21-gun salute'

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet  – New People's Army guerillas nationwide marked  the group's 45th founding anniversary yesterday (March 29) by  firing their guns in the air A 21-gun salute, a common military tradition, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), said marked the anniversary in undisclosed locations all over the country where it was applicable and situations allowed.

The 21-gun salute, the CPP statement said, was a tribute to all martyrs of the NPA and the “national democratic revolution.”

“Ang kanilang mga sakripisyo at walang pag-iimbot ay iniambag nila sa sambayanang Pilipino sa pagkamit ng malalaking tagumpay sa paglulunsad ng kanilang pambansang demokratikong rebolusyonaryong pakikibaka,”  the statement said.

The government has intensified alert for possible attacks on the heels of the capture of two CPP high ranking leaders in Cebu.

The anniversary celebrations in “guerilla zones”, which the CPP earlier claimed in December as around 135 all over the country, marked “victories” of the rebel movement in four decades such as ousting two “reactionary regimes ( Marcos' and Estrada's)”.

On March 29, all regional, sub-regional  and front command of the NPA including village militias did military formations and paraded the CPP, NDF, and NPA flags.

This, as Lt Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, Jr., commander of Armed Forces in North Luzon (Nolcom) said since remnants of the communist underground movement is now leaderless withthe capture of its top two party leaders, the defeat of the rebels will be hastened.

"With the capture of Benito Tiamzon and his wife Wilma, and the isolation of Jose Maria Sison who is more than 10,000 miles away we can now see the downfall of the CPP-NPA as they are now leaderless," said Catapang in a telephone call to to this writer.

Catapang said this was a big blow to the underground movement and the CPP-NPA is now leaderless.
The three-star Army general said his men can now focus their time and efforts on economic development and on peace and progress.

Catapang earlier declared almost all provinces in his area (Northern and Central region, including Cordillera provinces) are now peaceful and ready for further development with what he called waning of the underground movement in his area.

The Tiamzon couple were arrested by the military and police in Cebu March 22. – With a report from Mar T. Supnad