Gonzales calls for people’s war vs NPA

National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales called yesterday on key sectors to help the government fight the communist insurgency which, he said, has been a major hindrance to economic development.

Gonzales, who is also the chairman of the Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas (PDSP), said major sectors like the Church, academe and civic groups could contribute greatly to government’s campaign to stop "communist terrorism."

He said the recent attack by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels on an airport project in Silay, Negros province showed that communists were not just threats to security but were enemies of progress as well. He said the attack also proved that the rebels were "anti-poor."

"The economic cost of that attack is far bigger than the P30 million worth of equipment destroyed. This destruction will delay development in the province, as well as the operation of the airport," Gonzales said in a statement.

"The cost to economic development actually goes beyond Negros island. The attack was actually meant to scare other potential foreign investors," he added.

He said the boldness of the rebel attack should prompt the police and the military to improve security in and around vital installations and major government infrastructure projects.

He said the rebels’ punitive attacks on businesses that refused to pay "revolutionary taxes" only victimized the poor in the countryside. In the past weeks, communist rebels have torched several Globe cell sites and passenger buses and even plantations owned by uncooperative businessmen.

"The increasing indiscriminate attacks by the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines) NPA on government, private and people’s projects also show the desperation of a terrorist group hurting from a total government approach to finally crush it," Gonzales pointed out.

"These incidents stress the need for government to intensify even more its comprehensive anti-insurgency campaign consisting of military, economic, legal, political and diplomatic components," he said.

"It is vital that the rebel force be incapacitated so that its leaders will have no choice but to negotiate for peace and return to mainstream society." — Perseus Echeminada