As the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) celebrates its 52^nd founding anniversary today (Saturday), the defense establishment tagged the armed communist rebellion as a “total failure” and vowed to finish off the communists within the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“In those 52 years, the CPP/NPA (New Peoples’ Army) never did come close to achieving its aim. It is a total failure,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement on Friday.

He added that what the communists left in the past 52 years is “a trail of death and destruction all over the country that continues to this day: killings of innocent civilians and government troops, recruitment of young kids to their ranks to fight the government, destruction of properties, and massive extortion of businesses all over the country.”

For his part, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson, Marine Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, said the country has already rejected the communists and the CPP/NPA should instead seek forgiveness from Filipinos.

“Their (CPP) unity of purpose with the National Democratic Front (NDF) and the New People’s Army that has caused murder, pillage, arson, and extortion, among other crimes, has brought indescribable pain and misery to our fellow Filipinos. Those are enough reasons for them to seek forgiveness from our people who now have largely rejected them,” Arevalo said in a message to reporters.

He added that the big number of CPP central committee members and NPA members and supporters who have surrendered or were arrested or killed should give communists “clear signals” that they have nothing to celebrate.

Arevalo said that the AFP leadership has also resolved to finish the communist rebellion before Duterte finishes his term in 2022.

“The AFP under the clear directions and leadership of Gen. Gilbert Gapay will continue with our unrelenting operations until we have finished this communist-terrorist group before the end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term,” he said. CURRENTPH