Camp Lapulapu, Cebu City – The Visayas Command (VISCOM) continues to deliver devastating blows to the CPP-NPA in the Visayas region, as the terrorist group sustains heavy damages in the 3rd Quarter of 2023.
“I am happy with what we have accomplished for the period. We have sustained our gains and prevented the CPP-NPA from regaining their foothold in the region. We will continue our relentless focused military operations to further push the terrorist group to their imminent collapse,” said Lieutenant General Benedict M Arevalo PA, the Commander of VISCOM.
The statement was made following the recently concluded VISCOM Command Conference held in Camp Lapulapu, Cebu City. During the said engagement, it was revealed that for the 3rd Quarter of 2023, a total of 79 NPA terrorists were neutralized while 110 firearms and 25 anti-personnel mines were seized by the members of Team VISCOM in the entire Visayas region.
Significant of which was the neutralization of Rebecca Alfaro alias Jing, the notorious Secretary of the NPA’s Southern Front (SF) under Komiteng Rehiyon Panay (KR Panay) who died in an encounter with the members of the 61st Infantry Battalion in Leon, Iloilo.
“The CPP-NPA’s reign of terror in the region is nearing its end. Their leaders continue to fall to the long arms of justice and their members continue to flock, as they return to the folds of the law. Their true image as devils in society has been exposed and their propaganda against the government bears no effect to the community, as the people continue their active support to the peace endeavor of the government,” Lt Gen Arevalo added.
He then emphasized the importance of the whole-of-nation approach to their campaign, “Indeed, the whole-of-nation approach of the NTF ELCAC significantly contributed to our gains against the CPP-NPA. Not only did it address the issues being exploited by the terrorist group to agitate the people and deceive them to go against the government, but it also provided us an avenue to pursue the terrorist group on a different field, particularly the court.”
It was further disclosed that a total of 569 community development projects in the region under the Barangay Development Program (BDP) of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) have been completed. 263 of which were programmed in 2021,while 306 were programmed in 2022. 280 of these projects are in Region 6; 53 are in Region 7; and 236 are in Region 8.
Likewise, a total of 74 legal cases have been filed against the CPP-NPA and are now at the level of the Prosecutor. The complaints include Recruitment, Willful Killings, Use and Stockpiling of Anti-Personnel Mines, Destruction of Civilian Property, and Use of Children in Armed Conflict.
Lt Gen Arevalo concluded as he lauded the troops and urged the few remaining members of the CPP-NPA in the region to return to the folds of the law, “I commend our troops for their unyielding commitment to end the local communist armed conflict in the region. Let us continue doing our best for the attainment of a just and lasting peace for our people. With that, I urge the few remaining members of the CPP-NPA to lay down their arms and return to the folds of the law while they still can. Our efforts will never waver and we will remain committed to ending their reign of terror in this part of the country.”
