Camp Lapulapu, Cebu City – Visayas Command (VISCOM) on Wednesday informs that the CPP – NPA in the Visayas region continues to crumble, as the government troops continue to push on and sustain the momentum.
According to Lieutenant General Benedict M Arevalo PA, the VISCOM. Chief, “We have achieved significant gains in our efforts and will continue to push on. There will be no let-up in our Focused Military Operation and Community Support Program, as we will sustain the momentum and prevent the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) from ever gaining their footing in the region.”
It was disclosed that for the month of January of the current year, a total of 18 communist NPA terrorists have already been neutralized by the government forces. Two of whom were killed during encounters, three were apprehended while 14 have returned to the folds of the law. Likewise, a total of 35 firearms were also seized by the government troops during the period.
Apart from these, 93 former members of the Communist Terrorist Group – Affiliated Mass Organizations (CAMOs) denounced their support from the communist terrorists, as they pledged their allegiance to the government.
Lt Gen Arevalo emphasized that “the active partnership and collaboration of the different stakeholders under the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict also gained its ground with several community development projects completed and hundreds more being implemented, paving the way for the people in the former NPA-infested barangays to actively support and pledge their allegiance to the government.”
A total of 127 community development projects under the Barangay Development Program (BDP) of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) were completed last year. 71 of which are infrastructure projects while 56 are non-infrastructure projects. These are apart from the 244 community development projects under the BDP that are currently being implemented.
Lt Gen Arevalo ended by urging the few remaining members of the communist terrorist to return to the folds of the law, saying that “We will remain steadfast in our commitment of ending the local communist armed conflict in the region. Our efforts will not waver, and we will never back down. As such, we encourage the few remaining members of the communist terrorist to lay down their arms, abandon their armed struggle, and return to the folds of the law. Follow the lead of your former comrades. Be part of the genuine solution to achieve lasting peace and sustainable development in the region.” (VICTOR BALDEMOR RUIZ)
