The militant wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) is called the New People’s Army (NPA). While most of the armed groups that we are discussing this week are Mindanao based, the NPA operates throughout the Philippines, and actually is more active in Luzon and the Visayas than it is in Mindanao. The NPA was formed in 1969, and is a Maoist organization, meaning that it follows the teachings of Mao Tse Tung, the Chinese Premier back in those days. While Communism has seemed to have lost it’s glitter around the world in the past 20 years or so, the NPA is still stronly connected with Communism.
The leader of the NPA, since inception has been Jose Maria Sison. Sison has been living in exile in the Netherlands since 1987. Sison still runs the NPA operations, though, remotely from the Netherlands. Since the days after the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11/2001, the United States has classified certain people around the world as terrorists, and Sison is among those considered Terrorist leaders under this program. Currently, based on European Union court rulings in recent years, it is expected that Sison will be extradited to the Philippines sometime in the near future.
In recent years, President Arroyo has proclaimed that the NPA will be wiped out by the Philippine Armed Forces by 2010, although it is my personal opinion that this goal cannot be accomplished, especially in that time frame. The NPA is very active, and also very elusive. There are always new people ready to enter the group, so if some are killed or arrested, there are plenty of others to take their place. With an organization like this, wiping them out in only a matter of 2 years or so is seemingly impossible.
When it comes to foreigners, it is my contention that the NPA generally does not go after foreigners. I feel that if you mind your business, and not nose into their business, you will not be bothered by the NPA. I would not recommend that you venture into their territory if you have no business there. Even if you are not a target, it is possible that you could get caught in the crossfire of an armed skirmish between the NPA and the Philippine military, so it’s best to stay away. Generally, the NPA does not operate in developed areas like in the City. It is more likely to run across the NPA if you are out deep in the Province where there is little development. This is the kind of area where you could expect that the NPA is likely to be operating.
As I said earlier, the NPA is not as much of a threat here in Mindanao as it is in Luzon and the Visayas, although there is NPA activity in Mindanao too. If you plan to venture into very rural areas, it’s best to just ask some people who live in the area where you will be traveling about any NPA activity in the area, and they can generally offer you good advice on that.
Remember, educating yourself about the threat, and getting good up-to-date information is the best thing you can do to keep safe!
The NPA is the one my wife remembers from her childhood. My wife was born on the Island of Negros where the NPA was very active. Many times she had to quit school and go to a relatives house while there was fighting with the NPA in her home area. She tells of accounts of the NPA stealing cow from the neighbors and threats against her family to keep quiet. Now I see news reports of the NPA destroying cell phone sites as a way of extortion to get money from the cell phone companies. I work on cell phone equipment and from seeing there damage we can be thankful they do not know what they are doing. 🙄
Hi Bob –
If I remember correctly, the NPA is the latest rebirth of the "Hukbong Bayan Laban sa mga Hapon" – the Hukbalahap – who waged guerilla warfare against the Japanese in the Pampanga-Tarlac-Nueva Ecija region of Luzon. Like their brethren fighting with Mao in China, they were mostly poor farmers led by Marxists steeped in communist revolutionary ideals. After the war, they waged a near-decade long insurrection against the government, reportedly to obtain recognition as WWII freedom fighters deserving a share of reparations and benefits.
After some of their group killed the widow of the Philippines' 2nd president (Quezon), the Huks disowned the action and changed their name to the Peoples Liberation Army ("Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan"). Their influence spread in Luzon's "breadbasket" areas in central Luzon. After numerous large operations waged against them by the government military forces, they surrendered in the mid-1950s.
In the 1960s, the Huks were reborn as Bagong Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan and again waged guerilla warfare against the government. This time, though, their relations with the Communist Party of the Philippines ("Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas") was quite strained. During Martial Law, both the Huks and the PKP surrendered. An agreement between the surrendered PKP and the government resulted in recognition of the Huks as veterans and provided them with a share of war reparations and benefits (as sought in their initial insurrection).
The PKP was primarily pro-USSR. After China and the USSR split and went separate communist routes, Maoist-leaning members left the PKP and formed the CPP – Communist Party of the Philippines. At the end of the 1960s, a splinter of the CPP formed the NPA – New People's Army and again waged guerilla-style military operations against the government. Their goal, however, was much larger than their predecessors. They wanted the government overthrown and a communist government installed.
That's what we have today. Their grievances (farmers kept poor by the monied class) extend back to the Spanish era. The more things change, the more they stay the same. 😉
Hi Larry – Yep, the NPA and also the MILF are known to hit those cell towers. Funny thing is that it is always Globe Telecommunications that gets hit, never Smart. Not hard to figure out why….
Hi Paul – Yep, everything you said jives with what I know about the NPA too. Thanks for going into detail!
Hi again – forgot to mention that some "commands" of the NPA do mess with foreigners – especially foreigners who appear to have money – in Luzon. Asking those who appear to have "disposable wealth" to pay "Revolutionary Taxes" is a common approach, and payments are usually made.
Similar to what happens to Globe communications towers (Globe refuses to pay the NPA) some property damage has been inflicted against foreigners not paying up and/or showing their inner feelings to the NPA group "assessing" them.
When we're visiting our property in Bataan, a small group from the area "command" will get wind of our presence and visit us. We usually provide them with a meal and some water, and they leave peacefully. We don't see or hear of them until the next time we're "in town"!
Hi Paul – When I said "mess with foreigners" I was talking more in the way of violence, kidnappings and such.
I know some people here who are/were "commanders" in the NPA. It was especially active here in the 80's. Venice talks about being a kid and you had to be indoors before nightfall because the NPA would come and sometimes there were firefights. Thank God all that is over now, but I know that NPA is especially active even now in the Toril area… the province of Toril not downtown.
Hi BrSpiritus – There is also a fair amount of NPA activity in Compostela Valley, and Davao del Norte. None of that really impacts the City much, though.
Hi Bob
One of my customer's uncle was a high ranking NPA commander, which he only found out at his funeral, several other high ranking officials were there at the funeral. I believe it is impossible for the government to wipe them out in 2 years and maybe not even in 10 years. They can weaken the movement but as long as they get some money by extortion and other illegal activities there will always be some money to be made there. Actually back in the 80's Davao had a heavy NPA presence. That is where Duterte made a name for himself, actually once preventing a kidnapping group from escaping the city and engaging them in a shoot-out. ( Time Asia did a very good article on him.) They had many sparrow units in the city.
I know you are mentioning all the main armed groups in the Philippine but I believe for most foreigners it is just the regular criminals/crime that should really be of any safety concern for foreigners or the occasional pissed off gf/wife 🙂 .
i read some news and warnings from the "State department " but you have good articles.. Thanks for the info .intersting too ..Good thing i don't belive everything i read from the state dept. and news papers hee hee …Phil R.
Hi Neil – I totally agree that simple things like street crime, pickpockets and such are the biggest threat (although still minor) against foreigners visiting the Philippines. The thing is, though, I get these questions every day from people who are planning, or hoping to visit here. They see things in the news about Muslim Separatist groups, NPA and such, and they think that they will be targets, which I feel is as far from the truth as you can get.
Hi phil R. – Those boys at the State Department, in my opinion, are just covering their &O#&>, if you know what I mean! If they didn't issue the warning, and somebody traveling here runs into trouble, then they will come across that they didn't do their job. 😆
Bob… Sitting here in HKG enjoying a dim sum before my meeting.(With a diet Coke, of course) Yeah, my experience pretty much matches what you wrote…I like Neil's comment though… I'm more worried about being on the receiving end of angry Rebecca (the Latin blood is one Spanish legacy… Usually justified in her case, BTW) than of anything the NPA may do. Hey… Gotta love 'em!
Hi Bob
Good to see an article on the NPA. They are the group I remember most from my days in Luzon but I thought they died out about the same time disco did.
Hi John Miele – Ha ha… maybe I should extend the series about the "Dangers that lurk" into the weekend and have a day about "Filipina Wives." What do you think? 😆
Hi Dan Mihaliak – Well, the NPA is still active, they survived disco! Not sure how! 😀
Regarding your response (#15) to John Miele: You may not want to go there. 😆
Hi Paul – Are you saying that could get me in trouble? 😆 What about freedom of the press? 😀
Bob, I was stationed at Clark AB from '88 thru '91. Went thru Mt Pinatubo. When the last 2 american service personnel were ambushed and killed by the NPA in 1990, the military changed a lot of their policies.
I lived off base with my family but several months later, had to move into base housing.The unit I was assigned to was accused by the NPA of actively supporting the Phil gov't to defeat them. Not true, but we were a counter insurgency unit. We were briefed all the time to maintain awarness because we were on their hit list. Never, while in the Philippines, did I feel threathen, but I was always aware of what was going on around me. I tried to be as careful as possible, but I did not let it stop me from enjoying my tour there. I did this no matter which country I was in. Use common sense. Its unbelievable how stupid Americans can act when they go to another country.
Hi Tim – I am pretty sure that one person you are talking about was Colonel James Rowe, who was killed by the NPA in 1989, a real shame.
Common sense is always a good thing!
Bob, I was on the golf course when they brought his body in by chopper right after the ambush in Manila.
Hi Tim – I'm sorry to hear that. I didn't know Nick, but he was a friend of a friend. It was a bad thing, no doubt about that.
Hey guys , got a question: I frequent Bohol and have traveled the RP a bit, was recently told that its best to avoid northern Bohol due to NPA presence, I have been planning next trip a motorcycle discovery ride of several days of the island of Bohol including remote north areas…any concerns for a street smart group of 2 guys?
Hi brian – I am admittedly not an expert about Bohol, in fact I have not been there (yet). That said, I personally would not concerned about taking such a trip. Maybe somebody else will come along with better info than I can provide. Particularly Mike Kenyon, who reads this site regularly – he lives in Bohol.
good enough Bob, maybe Mike would give some insight. I'm usually not overly concerned about moving about in th RP but always like to get a feel for the area beforwe hand.
Hi brian – Mike is pretty busy, but I am sure he will answer when he has a chance.
also note that there is also a schism going on in the NPA. factions for & against joma sison have been infighting for some years now, resulting in some killings on the top of the chain.
not to give you an impression that i routinely meet up with rebel factions – heh, but i actually met a few affiliates of the CPP movement (communist party of the philippines – the political wing of the movement). some common folk in the davao outskirts & in some in the student scene.
during my college years, i attended a student conference in cebu that lasted a week (in a compound & difficult to go out), i was not there for the ideological talk but to introduce myself in the UP student body network. there was a lot of deep discussions and debates. very organized & intellectually driven. but you could tell there were links to the CPP movement. it gave me another insight on what drives this movement.
i came away quite fascinated at the level of passion, determination and belief in their cause. i was one of the few who shared a few differing opinion on some topics (i was stubborn even back then). these were young intellectuals not fighters & is another part of the communist rebel movement that must be recognized
it boils down to this. the RP government, to their ineptitude & corruption, has failed to show that the democratic system works & it is a fair system. it's only natural that years of pent up frustration & decades of poverty pushes people to find an alternative method. mostly by extreme standards.
eliminate this misguided movement in 2 years? not bloody likely. it's a multi-pronged problem & part of the solution is for the government to honestly look at themselves in the mirror.
Hi macky – I have some close friends who were relatively highly ranking in the NPA a couple of decades ago, although they are no longer involved in the organization.
I agree with you about the government looking into the mirror, and improving the democratic process to the point where the Filipino people can be proud of the government that they elect.
-Bob,
Keep up the informative articles.
-Brian,
First off, let me apologize for the delayed response.
As for your questions regarding NPA in Bohol. To my knowledge there has not been any activities against foreigners in Bohol. I have lived here for the last 3 years. I travel all around Bohol on a regular basis and have never felt threatened in any way. I have used my own transportation and public transportation.
There are reports of the NPA being active in and around Inabanga (I have family there and have spent time with them) Here is a recent article about from the Bohol Chronicle http://www.boholchronicle.com/2006/sep/10/front1…. …
I don't see any problems with a couple people taking a ride around Bohol on bikes. Just remember if they are trying hard to flag you down or trying to flag you down in the middle of no where they could have bad intensions and of course this goes for anywhere in the Philippines (or world for that matter). If you need anything feel free to send me an email. I would be happy to get more indepth with you should you feel the need.
Hi Mike K. – Thanks for sharing your expertise with Brian!
Bob,
My pleasure. I hope to have an article on Bohol written soon for your guest blog. I have been working on it during my spare time. 😆 As you know I don't have a lot of that now days. So it has taken me longer then I anticipated.
Hi Mike K. – I'll be looking forward to that article!