• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
As the implementation of whole nation approach to end local communist armed conflict, through Executive Order 70 (EO 70) is about to reach its 5th year, the Armed Forces of the Philippines Visayas Command said the fight against CPP-NPA in the Visayas region continues to be relentless, as it sustains its significant gains to further push the local terrorist group on the verge of imminent defeat.
“Our fight against the CPP-NPA will go on. We will continue to be relentless, and we will never hold back,” Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, VISCOM chief, emphasized.
From January up to date, VISCOM records indicated that a total of 149 armed encounters transpired throughout the Visayas region, which led to the neutralization of 589 rebels, of which 479 surrendered, and 82 others died during encounters, while 28 were apprehended, during joint law enforcement efforts with the PNP.
In the same period, a total of 409 assorted firearms were seized.
Of the rebels who surrendered, VISCOM reports further indicated that 431 of them have already been enrolled in the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP), where they received initial grants from the local government units.
As for its Community Support Program (CSP), a total of 261 barangays in the Visayas have been cleared from NPA infestation, where 113 NPA-affiliated mass organizations denounced their support to the CPP NPA and pledged allegiance to the government.
These clearing efforts also paved the way for the implementation of a total of 1,010 community development projects under the Barangay Development Program of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC), the VISCOM reports also said.
Of the projects, 562 have already been completed, while the implementation of 448 other projects are still ongoing.
The VISCOM also reported that hundreds of complaints have been filed against several NPA personalities, as well as NPA-affiliated organizations.
With the institutionalization of the whole-of-nation approach through EO 70, local government units have been actively supporting our efforts in ending the local communist armed conflict in the Visayas region, Arevalo said in a statement. While we focus our forces in addressing the armed component of the terrorist group, our local government and other government agencies are also addressing the grievances and issues that are being exploited by the CPP-NPA in the community, he added.*
