Excerpt from the movie "October: 10 days that shook the world" (Oktyabr': Desyat' dney kotorye potryasli mir), by Sergei Eisenstein, with the song "I Lenin Takoi Molodoi" (Lenin Is Young Again). The film was commissioned in 1927 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the victory of the October Revolution.
NPA trounces AFP operations in Davao Oriental, 18 fascist troops wiped out in back-to-back Red Army ambuscades
By Roel Agustin II Spokesman, Front 20 Operations Command Conrado Heredia Command New People's Army-Southern Mindanao
Eighteen enemy soldiers were killed and more than 10 others were severely wounded following the back-to-back tactical offensives launched by the Red fighters of the Conrado Heredia Command-Front 20 Operations Command of the New People's Army 27 and 28 August in Cateel and Boston towns in Davao Oriental.
A brigade-sized combat operation involving the Armed Forces of the Philippines´ 25th Infantry Battalion and 67th Infantry Battalion of the 1001st Brigade, and a formation of the Scout Rangers Company, were engaged by Red fighters in two separate ambushes, resulting to enemy casualties amounting to an undersized platoon.
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines in Eastern Visayas said today that the two alleged "rebel returnees" in the custody of the 34th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army are not members of the New People's Army but ordinary civilian peasants who were abducted, tortured and are being held under duress. "The brothers Cesar and Juanito Gabac were presented as 'rebel returnees' by the 8th Infantry Division to the media and the local government of Paranas, Western Samar last 16 August," said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDFP-EV spokesperson.
"But reports reaching the NDFP-EV indicate the Gabac brothers were abducted along with their mother Lucia last 25 July by 34th Infantry Battalion troops in Brgy. Anagasi, Paranas. Furthermore, the guns they allegedly 'surrendered' were in fact not in their possession but found elsewhere by the military after the NPA left these in temporary storage. The brothers are believed to have been tortured and forced to guide the soldiers during their military operations."
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today expressed sympathy with the victims of yesterday's hostage-taking in Manila, and joined nationwide and international indignation at the "colossal stupidity and incompetence" of police and government officials in the handling of the incident that led to unnecessary bloodshed.
At least nine people were killed, including the hostage-taker, former police captain Reynaldo Mendoza. The eight others were Chinese nationals on a vacation tour in Manila. Reports that some of the hostages were killed or wounded by police fire during the assault are being looked into.
By Monitoring Committee National Democratic Front of the Philippines
The Chairman of the Human Rights Monitoring Committee of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP-MC) today chided GRP Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles for following in the footsteps of Norberto Gonzales in dishing out disinformation about the New People’s Army (NPA) in an attempt to derail the resumption of the formal talks in the peace negotiations between the NDFP and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP).
“For the past several months, Deles has been talking about the resumption of the formal peace talks in the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations. But at every turn she dishes out lies and disinformation such as that the NDFP has not responded to her ghost emissaries, or that the NDFP is 'imposing preconditions' to the resumption of the formal talks, or that the NPA is continuing with its tactical offensives – as if the GRP armed forces have stopped their massive military operations in the countryside, especially in Mindanao and the Visayas, in pursuit of Oplan Bantay Laya 2,” Agcaoili said.
