DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, July 11 (PIA) -- The 302nd Infantry Brigade (IB) of the Philippine Army reported that communist terrorist group (CTG) members in the province have decreased to 38% or 92 manpower from 148 members, while their firearms have reduced to 27% or 119 for 162 firearms.
This was reported during the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting on July 7 at the Convention Center, Dumaguete City.
Army Major Anthony Macatual indicated that the CTG are losing members due to the various neutralizations, thus reducing its strength in terms of manpower and firearms.
The number of firearms that were captured, confiscated, surrendered, and recovered from the CTGs created a major setback and significantly degraded its ability to conduct atrocities in the firearms, said Macatual.
With 22 CTG members surrendered, five captured, and others killed with firearms and explosives confiscated in seven encounter-operations in the hinterland barangays of Guihulngan City, Sta. Catalina, and Sibulan towns as the intensified anti-insurgency campaign focused in dismantling the CTG in the province continued, they are thinning their ranks, the official said.
It has been reported that the South Eastern Front (SEF) or NPA-communist terrorist group with remaining elements felt in the towns of Sta Catalina, Siaton and part of Sibulan, was “dismantled” by the Joint Armed Forces of the Philippines-Philippine National Police Intelligence Committee (JAPIC)- National Validation Board, while CTGs in Central Negros 1 and 2 communist fronts that cover some areas of Occidental and Oriental Negros were also validated as “weakened” by JAPIC.
Philippine Army Brigade Commander of 302nd IB, Brigidaire Gen. Leonardo Peña, urged the remaining CTG members to surrender and stop harassing the communities so as not provoke the situation of the residents who need peace and development programs.
“The armed struggle is useless, hence I urge them to return to the folds of the law and avail of the government’s reintegration program, the E-CLIP, so that they can return safely to their families,” Peña said.
He said the people of Negros Oriental already claim and support “the national government’s effort in ending the decades-long communist armed conflict.”
The Army officials consider the purposive activities and programs of the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF ELCAC) alongside the combat operations against the CTGs will continue to derail and prevent recovery efforts on previously CTG-affected areas.
However, it was raised that the PTF-ELCAC should address the grievances of the conflict-affected and vulnerable areas on land issues, social injustices, low productivity, low wages, and little to no economic opportunity. (JCT/PIA7 Negros Oriental)
