BY VICTOR REYES

THE military’s accomplishment in the fight against the communist New People’s Army during the first quarter of 2008 was far better than the succeeding three quarters of the same year, military figures showed.

Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, chief of the AFP public information office, yesterday said the number of communist guerrilla fronts was down from 87 as of end 2007 to just 62 as of end December 2008, and that NPA strength was also reduced from 5,761 fighters at end 2007 to 5,239 as of the end of last year.

The AFP, in a command conference in April last year, said the guerrilla fronts had been reduced to 69 while the NPA’s strength decreased to 5,470 fighters.

This means that during the first quarter of last year, the military reduced the NPA guerrilla fronts by 18 and neutralized 291 rebels. For the rest of the year, there was a decrease of only seven guerrilla fronts and while only 231 rebels were neutralized.

As of end 2007, the number of communist-affected barangays was 1,919. As of end of last year, the number of affected barangays was down to 1,382 or a reduction of 28 percent, according to Torres.

During the first quarter last year, then AFP chief Hermogenes Esperon had reported that the communist-affected barangays was down by about 10.37 percent or about 199 barangays. This means that about 339 barangays were "liberated" during the following three quarters.

Torres said the military has also reduced the rebel firearms by about 5 percent (or 285 firearms) last year from 5,694 as of end 2007. Esperon had said the rebel firearms had been reduced by 2.7 percent or 154 during the first quarter.

The military did not give an explanation as to the apparent inferior accomplishment during the second, third and fourth quarters of last year,

An offensive launched in mid-August against rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front was apparently a factor.

The offensive, which is still ongoing, has prompted the military to pull out at least eight Army battalions from communist-infested areas in Luzon and the Visayas for deployment in Mindanao.

"If we are going to consider our general assessment last year, we can say that we have downgraded their strength in terms of personnel, firearms and affected barangays. Most significant is the reduction of the number of guerrilla fronts," Torres said.

"We can say that we are hitting the communist terrorist movement simultaneously against their political and military components," he also said adding the military would sustain its offensive against the communists to make them irrelevant by 2010 as ordered by President Arroyo.

Peace talks with the communists and the government bogged down in 2004 but efforts are underway to revive the negotiations.

Torres said the military establishment is not aiming to completely wipe out the four-decade-old communist insurgency by 2010.

"There will be always be somebody who would rather take up arms against the government. But as long as that group is already small, that can be addressed by the police, it’s going to be a law enforcement problem already. That is the objective," he said.

NPA rebels killed a policeman, PO1 Rickson Aquino, in an encounter in Rodriguez, Rizal Saturday.

The rebels also took hostage three policemen – Insp. Rex Cuntapay, and PO1 Marvin Agasen and Alberto Umali, all of the 418th Police Provincial Mobile Group based in Barangay Macabud in Rodriguez.

The policemen were conducting routine patrol in Sitio Calumpit, Barangay Macabud when they encountered the undetermined number of rebels.

After the gunfight, the rebels fled towards Bulacan aboard a closed van, a jitney, a red Toyota Innova, a delivery truck, a tricycle, and four motorcycles. The other rebels fled on foot.

In Candelaria, Quezon also Saturday, an unidentified rebel was killed after a brief encounter with government forces in Barangay Masalukot 3.

In Agusan del Sur, personnel of a government patrol base in Barangay Villa Ondayon, Bayugan City repulsed an NPA attack under one Ka Jorge Friday night.