FORT BONIFACIO, Metro Manila – The Commanding General Philippine Army, Lt. Gen. Gilbert I. Gapay congratulates the joint AFP- PNP force for a successful joint law enforcement operation, which resulted to the neutralization of top-ranking CPP-NPA-Terrorists leader and two other CNTs members at Lourdes Subdivision Extension, Barangay Queen of Peace, Baguio City, today, Mar. 3, 2020.
Identified as Julius Soriano Giron; Chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines and a member of the CPP-NPA's Executive Committee; was served with a Search Warrant Number 6014 for violating RA 10591 (Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition) along with Warrant of Arrests for various crimes such as murder, frustrated murder, arson, and rebellion.
Numerous atrocities committed by Giron have resulted in the deaths of military personnel and innocent civilians; loss of economic assets due to the illegal burning of equipment; and the displacement of thousands of people who wanted to live a peaceful life.
Government forces acted upon the information received from a member within the said terrorist organization. While serving the Search Warrant and Warrant of Arrest, Giron and other CNTs resisted and opened fire against arresting authorities. Firefight resulted in the death of Giron, Lourdes Tan Torres, who is also an Executive Committee Member of the National Health Bureau of the CPP, and an unidentified male believed to be a member of the National Military Commission.
Joint efforts were conducted by the National Capital Region Police Office, Police Regional Office-Cordillera, Baguio City Police Office, Northern Luzon Command, 503rd Brigade of 5th Infantry Division, Army Civil-Military Operations Regiment and Civil-Relations Service Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“The rebels’ efforts to gain political power, through their armed struggle, only resulted in violence. This will never be the solution for our society,” said Gapay. “With Giron’s death, justice is served. But we must not cease. We must not stop in uniting against such tyranny, which for so many years, have deprived the Filipino people the peaceful lives they deserve,” he added.#
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