Breaking Free From Communist Deception: NPA AT THE BRINK OF COLLAPSE

Evil works will inevitably come to an end. The Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) is at the brink of collapse as more and more of its members have been enlightened to see the real color of such a godless organization.

The last few years, including the time of Lt. Col. Marlowe E. Patria’s leadership in the 53rd Infantry “Matapat” Battalion, saw a dramatic decline of the CPP-NPA with large numbers of its members have successively come down from the mountains to finally give up their pointless armed struggle and go back to a normal life. Lt. Col. Patria’s Civil-Military Operations approach significantly created an impact to diminishing the CPP-NPA’s will to fight.

The CPP-NPA has suffered a depleted force with its many members who have irrevocably decided to abandon and renounce the communist revolution. They have come to realize that there was something wrong with the leadership and the rules that were being implemented within their local group. 

The disgruntled rebels have seen and experienced the flaws of the CPP-NPA in its decay of abusive procedures, corruptions, and unfair implementations of rules within their ranks. They knew that their struggles and sacrifices were going nowhere with selfish leaders and unfair practices and procedures.

While the ordinary members remained poor with families being ridden to deeper poverty, the CPP-NPA leaders were privileged to enjoy luxuries having families with comfortable lives at the expense of miserable members on the ground dastardly fighting for a senseless communist revolution.

The corruption, selfishness, and dishonesty of CPP-NPA leaders were openly displayed in front of the distressed members. Their leaders were only looking for themselves and the struggles were not meant for the poor communities after all.

With these demoralizing observations, it has become obvious for them that there is no need for such an armed struggle against the government to address the issues for the benefit of the masses.

(Photo: CAPTURED NPA FIREARMS. Philippine Army’s 53rd Infantry “MATAPAT” Battalion captured four high-powered firearms and neutralized one NPA terrorist in a clash at Barangay Marangan, Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur on September 21, 2020.)

Written by Leah Agonoy, a Pagadian-based journalist, and 53IB Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, the “BREAKING FREE” book highlights eye-opening narratives of actual accounts of young people’s fateful journeys who were once deceived but were able to break free from the shadows of communist deceptions in the Zamboanga Peninsula.