"It looks like an unwinnable war for both sides, with the prospect of more violence and bloodshed all too real in the years ahead. "
"It looks like an unwinnable war for both sides, with the prospect of more violence and bloodshed all too real in the years ahead. "
The Communist Party of the Philippines, which directs the armed rebellion in the country through its armed wing, the New People’s Army, observed its 50th anniversary last Wednesday, Dec. 26.
Not surprisingly, in the run-up to this milestone, NPA rebels launched so-called “tactical offensives” in various places, the most recent in Sorsogon, where they attacked a police station in Magallanes town, resulting in the wounding of three policemen and a civilian.
In the wake of this latest incident, President Rodrigo Duterte warned that the fight against the NPA would soon turn bloody: “They are just plain bandits and that should be the way to treat them,” referring to his order to shoot the rebels. Earlier, he had also slammed the door shut to any further peace negotiations with the CPP’s political arm, the National Democratic Front.
What that means is that the CPP-NPA-NDF will have to deal with a bloody all-out war by government forces against them.
The military estimates current NPA strength at only between 3,000 to 4,000 guerrillas spread out in a few regions, notably Bicol, Panay and Samar in Central Visayas, and several provinces in Mindanao.
Ranged against the ragtag Maoist guerrillas employing mainly hit-and-run tactics are no less than the total manpower complement of the armed forces and their superior firepower, including air support.
After 50 years of waging armed revolution, the CPP and the NPA appear no closer to achieving their ultimate goal of seizure of political power through the barrel of the gun.
The CPP issued a statement that gave themselves a pat on the back for surviving despite great odds, and claimed that the objective conditions for armed revolution have never been better. That’s what they’ve been saying year after year every time Dec. 26 rolls around.
The only remaining Maoist rebellion in the world has not been defeated by superior government firepower because they can still draw recruits from the countryside where there is widepread poverty. But the NPA has been unable to go beyond the strategic defensive stage of its revolutionary project, quite possibly because of a flawed strategy derived lock, stock and barrel from the Chinese model.
On the other hand, the government has failed to crush the communist-led rebellion after 50 years despite pouring massive resources in the counter-insurgency campaign.
From where we sit, it looks like an unwinnable war for both sides, with the prospect of more violence and bloodshed all too real in the years ahead.
Gaming tycoon takes another beating
The Parañaque Regional Trial Court has dismissed the move of gaming tycoon Kazuo Okada to question and stop his removal from Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment Inc., the operator of Okada Manila.
In a 9-page order, Judge Noemi J. Balitaan of RTC Branch 258 dismissed the Intra-Corporate Dispute for Declaration of Nullity of his Removal from TRLEI filed by Okada, ruling that his action has already prescribed.
“In Aldovino vs. Alunan, the Supreme Court has held that when the plaintiffs own complaint shows clearly that the action has prescribed, such action may be dismissed even if the defense of prescription has not been invoked by the defendant. Wherefore, based on the foregoing, the case is hereby dismissed,” the Court ruled.
Records showed that Okada filed the case questioning his removal as shareholder, director, president and chief executive officer of TRLEI in a stockholders’ meeting in June 2017. TRLEI held the special stockholders’ meeting to elect a new board since Okada’s one (1) nominal share of TRLEI had been revoked by its parent company, Tiger Resorts and Leisure based in Hong Kong.
It appeared that Okada held his leadership positions in TRLEI on the basis of the nominal share he held in trust for TRAL. Okada was subsequently removed from TRLEI since his Deed of Assignment with Declaration of Trust with TRAL had been revoked by the latter.
Okada on 29 August 2018 filed the Intra-Corporate Dispute case, arguing that his removal was void and illegal and that the election of the new composition of the board of TRLEI was likewise void.
The Court, in its ruling, said what Okada filed was an election contest seeking to nullify the election of the Board of Directors. It stated that being an election contest, the same should have been filed within 15 days from the alleged date of his removal.
“Records show that this case was only filed before this Court on Aug. 29, 2018 or approximately one year and two months after the alleged removal of the plaintiff as shareholder, director, chairman and chief executive officer of TRLEI, in violation of interim rules,” the Court declared.
It also denied all other pending motions in relation to the case, namely Motion for Issuance of a Gag Order, Motion for the Issuance of Alias Summons, Notice to Take Deposition and Motion to Disallow Deposition, were also dismissed for being moot and academic.
ernhil@yahoo.com