Philippine communist rebels vowed Thursday to intensify attacks against government troops and build a 25,000-strong guerrilla force, but the military mocked the target as unrealistic.
New People’s Army guerrillas marked the 45th founding anniversary of their underground party with a clandestine gathering at a mountain lair, where they invited journalists in southeastern Agusan del Sur province.
A communist rebel statement urged the Maoist guerrillas to “wipe out enemy units and seize their weapons” and “increase the number of our Red fighters to 25,000.”