WITH still 4 active ‘guerilla fronts’ (GFs) where they continue to hold some sway with the local population, Northern Samar is turning out to be the “last battleground” that would determine the survival or demise of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
This, after Armed Forces (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Bartolome Bacarro bared that from a high of 89 active GFs at the start of the Duterte administration in 2016, the government’s new anti-terrorist campaign strategy involving the ‘whole of nation/whole of government’ (WON/WOG) approach had now reduced them to just five, of which four are located in Northern Samar and one in South Cotabato.
Overall, the CPP-NPA still has 24 GFs all over the country, said AFP spokesman, Col. Medel Aguilar, but 19 of them have been classified as “weakened,” or without any more capability to further launch any terrorist acts that would endanger peace in the local communities.
‘Last stronghold’
It is not easy to see why Northern Samar, a part of Eastern Visayas (Region 8), has continued to be a hotbed of communist-inspired terrorism, despite its relatively low population density of more than 639,000 (2020 census).
With a land area of more than 3,692 square kilometers, more than half of its territory, 52 percent, is covered in forest interspersed with rugged hills and isolated lowland areas, a terrain favorable to insurgency.
Up to the present, Northern Samar, despite consisting of 24 municipalities and 569 villages (barangays), still has no city to speak of; even its provincial capital, Catarman, is only ranked as a ‘first class municipality.’
This is an indication of the low-level of economic development in the area that could have helped local residents move up the economic ladder. In a word, it remains as one of the most neglected areas of the country, a socio-economic condition that plays into the agenda of the CPP-NPA of exploiting social conditions to agitate the people to fight the government.
The political subdivision of the entire Samar in 1967 that divided the island into 3—Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and (Western) Samar also did not help but promote the dynastic ambition of local ruling families while helping entrench in the local political landscape the influence of the CPP-NPA.
Some of Samar’s leading political figures are themselves previously ardent supporters or leading cadres of the terrorist movement who transformed themselves into ‘mainstream politicos’ after 1986.
Divided into 3 main administrative areas—Balicuatro Area, Central Area and Catubig/Pacific Area, Northern Samar has two congressional districts representing its interests in Congress.
The first district represents Balicuatro and most of the Central Area and covers the towns of Allen, Biri, Bobon, Capul, Catarman, Lavezares, Lope de Vega, Mondragon, Rosario, San Antonio, San Isidro, San Jose, San Vicente and Victoria.
The second district represents the rest of the Central Area and the Catubig/Pacific Area covering the towns of Catubig, Gamay, Laoang, Lapinig, Las Navas, Mapanas, Palapag, Pambujan, San Roque and Silvino Lobos.
Despite having two representatives in Congress, Northern Samar remains far behind in achieving greater and faster economic development for its locals—unless direct intervention from the national government is done, especially thru the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
‘Decapitated leadership’
Until more than a month ago, or last October 12, 2022, when the Davao Regional Peace and Order Council declared Davao region as finally ‘insurgency free,’ Samar Island, particularly, Northern Samar, has not been given the attention it deserves in terms of finally ending the 50-plus decades of CPP-instigated terrorism.
After all, Mindanao, particularly the Davao region, has been considered the “last bastion” of CPP power and influence in the entire country and where the crucial battle for peace and development needs to be waged.
Mindanao has also evolved as the ‘breadbasket’ of the CPP-NPA where they collect the money they extorted from business enterprises—reaching into the billions each year– and where they train and deploy their cadres to other parts of the country over the years.
Nevertheless, Samar has always been under ‘constant monitoring’ by the country’s security forces.
Last August 22, 2022, an encounter off the coast in Catbalogan, capital of (Western) Samar, elicited ‘excitement’ within the national security cluster over the possibility that among the casualties are the remaining top leaders of the CPP-NPA, particularly, erstwhile CPP chair, Benito Tiamzon and his wife, CPP secretary Wilma Tiamzon. Also believed with them at the time was Tirso ‘Ka Bart’ Alcantara, the top commander of the NPA in Southern Tagalog and also a member of the CPP Central Committee.
The Tiamzons and Alcantara represent the remaining ‘first generation’ of CPP cadres who helped make the CPP-NPA into the longest-running communist insurgency in the world.
Unknown to them, however, they have long been monitored to have ‘retreated’ into Samar where they have been ‘directing’ the operations of the CPP-NPA elsewhere in the country. It is for this reason that Samar has never left the ‘radar’ of the Philippine military and its coastal areas under constant patrol.
Elements of the 8th Infantry Division said they encountered a speeding boat during the wee hours of August 22 where its occupants, instead of identifying themselves, opened fire. The resulting gunbattle resulted to a huge explosion that wreak the boat and possibly killed all those on board.
Significantly, the CPP’s Information Bureau has not made any statement commenting on the incident in Catbalogan, as was its habit in debunking government claims on the result of any military operation.
In a talk with Pinoy Exposé, Col. Aguilar bared that lately, “relatives” of the Tiamzons are making “discreet inquiry” with the military over the possible status or whereabouts of the Tiamzons.
Even days after the encounter in Catbalogan and despite modern forensic technology, identifying the casualties proved difficult as the remains recovered have been blown into bits and pieces.
With the possibility that three—possibly more—of the CPP’s top leaders ended up dead during the Catbalogan clash, it can be said that the CPP is now a “decapitated” terrorist organization, running around like headless chickens.
Final peace in 2023?
At the regional development and security forum last November 11, 2022 in Tacloban City between the local executives of Region 8 and National Security Adviser (NSA) Clarita Carlos, Carlos expressed the view that by December 2023, the entire Samar Island would be the next to be declared as ‘insurgency-free,’ the same classification now of Davao region.
Carlos’ view emphasizes the importance that Samar now plays in the government’s focused effort to finally put an end to the menace to peace and order and national security posed by the CPP-NPA.
NSA Carlos articulated that, hopefully, by December 2023 the Province of Samar will be the next province to be declared insurgency-free.
She further encouraged the local leaders of Eastern Visayas to continue with their development efforts and reiterated that peace-related initiatives should come from the barangay level.