Camp Lapulapu, Cebu City – As the exploratory talk with the CPP-NPA-NDF looms, the fight to win the peace and free the people from the clutches of terrorism in the Visayas region continues, as the CPP-NPA suffers yet another crushing defeat.
According to Lieutenant General Benedict M Arevalo PA, the Commander of VISCOM , after the the conduct of the 4-day Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) Project Implementation Workshop by the Visayas Command (VISCOM), it was disclosed that for the month of November, a total of 15 government-initiated armed encounters transpired throughout the Visayas region.
This led to the neutralization of 77 NPA terrorists. Eight (8) of them died during encounters; six (6) in Eastern Visayas and two (2) in Western Visayas. 69 returned to the folds of the law, wherein 44 of whom are from Eastern Visayas and 25 are from Western Visayas.
Of the 69 NPA terrorists who returned to the folds of the law, 36 are members of the Milisyang Bayan while 33 are Regular Members of the terrorist group. A total of 38 firearms were also seized by the government troops along with seven (7) anti-personnel mines during the period.
Lieutenant General Benedict M Arevalo expressed, “There is no formal peace talk yet, it’s just exploratory talks. With that, our focused military operation will continue as well as our localized peace engagement to those NPA terrorists who would like to return to the folds of the law. Our efforts will never waver, as we remain committed to ending the local communist armed conflict in this part of the country.”
The NPA’s crushing defeat in November was highlighted with the surrender of two (2) NPA terrorists who yielded to members of the 94th Infantry Battalion, following an encounter in Brgy Buenavista, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental on November 08. Several war materiel were recovered from their possession including seven (7) high-powered firearms, comprising of three (3) M16 Rifles, two (2) M4 Rifle, one (1) M653 Rifle, and one (1) Garand Rifle. Said NPA terrorists are remnants of the NPA’s Central Negros 2 (CN2) under Komiteng Rehiyon Negros, Cebu, Bohol, and Siquijor (KR NCBS).
Likewise, in Eastern Visayas, one (1) NPA terrorist died in an encounter as members of the 19th Infantry Battalion and remnants of the NPA’s Front Committee 1 (FC1) under Sub-Regional Committee Emporium (SRC Emporium) engaged in Barangay Senonogan, Pambujan, Northern Samar on November 15. Several war materiel were also recovered including five (5) high-powered firearms comprising of five (5) M16 Rifles and one (1) M14 Rifle.
Lt Gen Arevalo urged the few remaining members of the CPP-NPA in the region to return to the folds of the law rather than wait for the outcome of the exploratory talks, “The few remaining members of the NPA terrorists in the region should not rely on the ongoing talks between our government and the representatives of the CPP-NPA-NDF. There is no finality to the talks yet. They must lay down their arms now and return to the folds of the law, while they still can. For we will never stop pursuing them unless directed by higher authority.”
