Reds massing near Metro; AFP drive on

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has launched a full-scale military offensive against communist guerrillas who appeared to be slowly massing towards Metro Manila.

Since Friday, a Huey and two MG520 attack helicopters have been providing air cover for the Army’s Special Forces (SF), Scout Rangers (SR), the Marines, and police troops in their search-and-destroy operations in the Batangas-Cavite areas against heavily armed communist rebels.

As of yesterday, several Army teams from the Special Forces have successfully penetrated "Hill 600 GS5760," believed to be a rebel stronghold in the Batangas-Cavite boundary.

The full military offensive is being supervised by the Southern Luzon Command (Solcom)’s Task Force Banahaw, the government’s anti-insurgency force in Southern Luzon.

Reports reaching the Task Force’s advance command post at Camp Jose Razon in Barangay Palico, Nasugbu, Batangas, claimed that while there have been heavy sightings of rebels, the guerrillas have been evading direct contact with government troops.

Police provincial mobile groups from Batangas and Cavite, mobilized to provide additional support for the ongoing military offensive, have already sealed all possible escape routes of the rebels.

It was gathered that the full-scale military offensive was launched after military and police authorities confirmed that the rebel’s general command had already put up a considerable fighting force in the Batangas-Cavite area composed of about 30 to 60 fighters.

The AFP and the PNP have been alarmed at the presence of the NPA fighters in Cavite which borders Metro Manila in the South.

Early this week, two suspected NPA rebels and a Marine soldier were killed while three more Marines were critically wounded in a fierce gunbattle in Barangay Kaylaway, Nasugbu town.

Meanwhile, the deputy secretary of the Negros Island Regional Party Committee of the mainstream New People’s Army was captured Friday by military and police intelligence operatives in Brgy. Taloc, Bago City, a few kilometers south of Bacolod City.

The captured rebel leader was identified as Jessie Lipura alias "Mauring", who is next in line to priest-turned-rebel Frank Fernandez who reportedly commands about 400 NPA guerillas on Negros island. Six alleged members of the rebel movement were also captured, along with Lipura.

Police intelligence reports also revealed that Fernandez is suffering from a lingering illness and that Lipura has allegedly taken over temporarily the command of the NIRPC.

Recovered from the possession of Lipura were a handgun, P174,000 in cash, subversive documents and the sunglasses of Fernandez.

Lipura was presented yesterday to the media in a press conference at the Provincial Police Command, where he will be held in custody until Monday when he will be formally turned over to the local courts.

Reports showed that the top-ranking rebel leader is facing arson, multiple homicide and robbery charges in various courts here. — With Antonieta Lopez