Ex-General Claims Mindoro is Last Stronghold to Fading Communist Insurgency
A retired Philippine military general has alleged that the island of Mindoro has become a critical stronghold for the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA).
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Antonio Parlade, a former commander in the Philippine Army and vocal anti-communist figure, described Mindoro as an "alternate base" for the CPP-NPA's national operations, potentially serving as their "last stand" in Luzon and beyond.
Parlade, who served as spokesperson for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) until
2021, cited recovered documents and intelligence reports.
Parlade, 59, rose to prominence during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte for his role in the government's campaign against leftist groups.
He has been accused by human rights organizations of "red-tagging".
Red-tagging is a term for labeling critics as communist sympathizers, a practice that has drawn international condemnation.
After retiring from the military in
2021, Parlade ran unsuccessfully for a Senate seat in
2022 on a platform promoting national security and anti-insurgency campaign.
Parlade links Mindoro's strategic importance to the disappearance of Filipino-American woman Chantal Anicoche, suggesting it fits a pattern of international recruitment by the CPP.
Parlade referenced past cases, including Filipino-American Melissa Roxas in
2009, who alleged abduction by government forces while denying NPA ties, and Amado Khaya Canham Rodriguez, a U.S.-based activist he claimed trained NPA operatives before dying of COVID-19 in Mindoro in
2020.
"The incident in Mindoro is the last gasp of the CPP-NPA in Luzon and Visayas," Parlade wrote, using the Filipino term "hulihang halakhak".
He alleged the group's forces in Mindoro have grown from 18 in
2019 to 34, bolstered by recruits from other provinces.
Parlade claimed many of these reinforcements lack combat training and include indigenous Mangyan people used as guides or laborers, not armed combatants.
He accused leftist lawmakers, including Representatives France Castro, Arlene Brosas, Antonio Tinio, and Sarah Elago, of amplifying propaganda to secure international aid despite declining local support.
The NTF-ELCAC, established in
2018, has declared several provinces insurgency-free, crediting it with dismantling NPA units through surrenders and military operations.
However, critics argue the task force has stifled dissent and targeted activists unlawfully.
Parlade called for a "transparent" Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing to investigate, suggesting it could expose alleged extortion of infrastructure projects in Mindoro dating back to the
1980s.
He claimed to have seen evidence of NPA "allocations" from flood control and road contracts.
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