Snipnets: Clashes

Clashes of NPA and government troops

Two rebels died while scores of soldiers were injured in a running battle between government troops and NPA rebels in Pila Laguna. The AFP said that the CPP-NPA-NDF is slowly weakening. How will they explain this? It seems that the rebels are closing in Metro Manila? Previous to this, NPA rebels attacked a convoy of soldiers in Aurora Quezon which led to the death of some soldiers. Are they really being weakened? Or this pronouncement is just braggadocio on the part of government?

Esperon finding his relevance

AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon said that he expects the CPP-NPA-NDF to become "irrelevant" by 2010. Basing on what he's been doing and his boss fucking up the economy, this prediction will again, fail. Remember, last 2002, they said that they'll succeed in decimating the "enemy" by 2008. Its already 2008 and still the insurgents are becoming stronger and more relevant. Is this Esperon's way of actually justifying his relevance and possible extension of term of service? Yup. You guess right.

Two camps, Two Coups

This noise is deafening. Reports are highly reliable. Two groups within the AFP are trying to neutralize each other. One group is reportedly composed of Esperon's men; the others, the Patriots. Who will win the hearts and minds of the soldiers? Last December, a survey was conducted which showed that the Patriots have the support of at least 30 percent of the AFP. This is an improvement of a previous survey where it says that only 10% support the Patriots and 10% support the administration. Now, the configuration has changed.

The question is--who will launch the first one? I believe that groups aligned with Esperon and Gonzales will try to launch a coup and point to the Magdalo as a culprit. Obviously, Esperon will crush them and earn the extension which he wants. This is dangerous. And only Arroyo is to be blamed for this.

Bhutto style

Ellen Tordesillas wrote about an alleged plan to assassinate former president Joseph Estrada. Some would brush this off. I dare say that this report should not be glossed over. The AFP and the PNP should investigate this. Why? Because if these evil men succeed in their plan, it will plunge the country into a state of perpetual destabilization, leading to a civil war. If ever some hawks in the Cabinet has this plan in their nimble brains, they better abandon this. They are digging their own graves.