With over 200 rebels killed in 2020, military 'close' to eradicating NPA by end of Duterte's term – AFP chief

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 12) — The military is close to achieving its goal of "destroying" the communist rebel movement by 2022, after more than 200 rebels were killed and thousands have surrendered this year, Armed Forces Chief Gen. Gilbert Gapay said in a statement on Saturday.

"I can confidently say that we are close to realizing our goal of totally destroying this communist armed threat by 2022," Gapay said.

In the same statement, the military claimed to have eliminated 201 members of the New People's Army in 2020, arrested 264 more, while 7,615 have surrendered. Gapay also said law enforcement operations this month netted several alleged NPA members, saying it was a sign that the organization is in disarray.

However, leftist groups and progressive lawmakers asserted that some of the arrests, including that of labor union leader Jose Bernardino on Dec. 4, were illegal. They also noted the case of Amanda Echanis, the daughter of slain peace consultant Randy Echanis, who was arrested along with her one-month-old son for alleged illegal possession of firearms. The Anakpawis Party-list slammed the incident, claiming the charges were trumped up and the evidence was planted.

Lawmakers have been sounding the alarm on the growing number of arrests and attacks on human rights activists, which they attribute to the alleged rampant red-tagging by anti-communist officials.

Some members of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict were called out for making sweeping allegations against politicians, celebrities, and government critics as allies of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which prompted the Senate to open an investigation.

After a few hearings, Senate defense committee chair Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said he was mulling the proposal to criminalize red-tagging, as long as it does not infringe on the right to freedom of speech.