Buklod Kapayapaan Urges NPA Remnants to Choose Peace

Quezon City — Ahead of the New People’s Army’s (NPA) 57th anniversary on March 29, the Buklod Kapayapaan Federation Inc. (BKFI) called on remaining rebel fighters to abandon armed struggle and return to peaceful civilian life.

BKFI, a national federation of around 55,000 former rebels and people’s organizations, said the anniversary should serve as a reminder of decades of violence, loss, and stalled development in the countryside rather than a celebration of “revolutionary victories.”

“Fifty-seven years of the CPP-NPA-NDFP armed struggle has proven to be a vicious cycle of violence that only harmed communities,” the group stated on March 26, 2026. “We speak from experience as former believers in that narrative.”

Citing recent field monitoring, BKFI reported a total of 48 documented killings linked to the CPP-NPA-NDFP between 2025 and early 2026. Of these, 44 occurred in Negros Island. The federation stated that initial field interviews have uncovered a broader pattern of abuses beyond the killings, documenting cases of direct threats, intimidation, and the forced banishment of residents from their own communities.

Among the victims in Negros were 11 farmers, 9 former or current barangay officials, and 3 women. Fifteen victims were 50 years old and above, including three senior citizens. The youngest was 25-year-old Isagani Imalay, killed in Brgy. Bandila, Toboso, Negros Occidental on June 26, 2025. The oldest was 74-year-old grandmother Leonora Anguit, shot in Barangay Tapi, Kabankalan City on February 3, 2026.

Other notable victims include 34-year-old Maricel Hario Pantajo, a purok chairwoman and mother of three, killed in Brgy. Linaon, Cauayan on October 14, 2025, and 56-year-old Virginia Salmorenante, killed in Brgy. Camansi, Kabankalan City on December 20, 2025.

The federation highlighted the pattern of “spy-tagging” — the practice of labeling civilians, community leaders, and former rebels as military agents or informants, making them targets for summary execution without any judicial process.

Earlier this year in Occidental Mindoro, the BKFI-led Nabangani Mission also raised concerns over the January 1, 2026 encounter involving young women and the continued recruitment of youth into armed violence.

Government data shows that the armed capacity of the NPA is rapidly weakening. Its active strength has dropped to around 780 fighters nationwide. More than 16,000 former rebels have applied for amnesty (with 13,633 being actual combatants and supporters), far exceeding initial projections. Thousands more have benefited from the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) and other reintegration initiatives that provide livelihood assistance, skills training, and community support.

BKFI appealed to those still in the NPA: “Look at the suffering of the communities and the uncertainty faced by your comrades. Government reintegration programs offer a genuine chance to rebuild your lives in peace.”

The group urged the public to reject violence and support community-based peace initiatives, reclaiming March 29 as “a day to choose peace, unity, and shared responsibility — not conflict.”