By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 03:55pm (Mla time) 01/09/2007
COMMUNIST rebels dared Military Chief Hermogenes Esperon Jr. to have himself "dishonorably discharged" from the service if he fails to achieve his self-imposed target of crushing 24 of insurgents' over 100 guerilla fronts by the end of the year.At the same time, Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal claimed 0the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) "does not have the military nor the least political capability to stop the growth of the revolutionary forces."
"The general's statements will only blow in his face of an impending upsurge of the revolutionary armed struggle," Rosal said in a statement.
Rosal added that the NPA was planning to form "several scores" more of company-size guerilla fronts that are "capable of launching successive tactical offensives nationwide."
Esperon set the target during a command conference last Saturday, a day after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo approved the purchase of P10 billion worth of military hardware.
At the same time, Arroyo ordered the soldier to "strategically defeat" the communist New People's Army (NPA) by the end of her term in 2010, "destroy" the Islamic extremist Abu Sayyaf group, and "contain" other secessionist groups.
The marching orders are contained in Oplan Bantay Laya 2, the new internal security battle plan of the Armed Forces.
Rosal claimed that even at the height of the communist insurgency, the AFP could concentrate troops on only 12 to 15 of the NPA's 120 guerilla fronts.
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