The failure of counter-insurgency oplans to annihilate the revolutionary forces in the Philippines.

By Belarmino Dabalos Saguing, Rome, Wednesday 01.08.2013

Only this year, both the president and the AFP-PNP have repeatedly announced victories in the field against the forces of CPP-NPA. Still, it appears that ther revolutionary forces are getting stronger both in the fieldstrength and in gaining more and more support from the masses.

From humble beginnings in 1969

The long history of the counter-insurgency in the country from Marcos' Oplan Cadena de Amor to the present Oplan Bayanihan was marked with failures to erase  the revolutionary forces completely. 

To a full battle tested army of youth fighters in the 70's and 80's

Rather than defeat and crush the NPA and put an end to the armed conflict, these counter-insurgency campaign plans have achieved the opposite. From a ragtag band of 30 plus fighters with inferior firearms in 1969, the NPA has grown to several thousands operating all over the country, and has became so deeply rooted among the populace that no amount of physical annihilation, much less “clearing the area of rebels”, could permanently wipe out the NPA from any area.

The reason is simple. The armed conflict is rooted in oppression and exploitation, and an armed movement against oppression and exploitation can never be eradicated by physically eliminating the rebels. The only way to achieve permanent, genuine peace is to address the roots of the armed conflict. Furthermore, the injustices and wanton violations of human rights only serve to enrage and inflame the masses people into greater resistance, rather than coerce or intimidate them into submission.

New Peoples' Army today

This years SONA by the president highlighting the myth of economic progress was applauded only by the neoliberals and pro-corporate capitalist in the congress while the people, inspite of practically removing their rights of expression and assembly with repressive prohibition of protest rallies thru denial of permit and excessive use of violent suppression by the PNP, stage a massive protest outside.

The president failed once again to address the ills of the nation: continuing EJK and other human rights violations, the ever-increasing poverty and unemployment caused by the neoliberal measures like the PPP, deteriorating social services, the lack or absence of protection for OFWs who are staunch pillars of the Philippine economy, and the wanton corruption of government officials and lawmakers.

Like its predecessors, Oplan Bayanihan is bound to fail in its mission to crush the CPP-NPA and to win back the trust of the people.

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