The Localized Peace Engagement (LPE) deals the CPP-NPA in Eastern Visayas with another devastating blow following the recovery of an arms cache containing 11 firearms, three (3) anti-personnel mines, and several war materiel in Brgy Boco of Can-avid, Eastern Samar.
Combined elements of the 42nd Infantry Battalion and Eastern Samar Police Provincial Office (ESPPO) launched the Joint AFP-PNP Focused Military Operation (FMO) which led to the successful recovery of the aforementioned war materiel.
The successful FMO was made possible following the revelation of a former rebel brought about by the incessant localized peace engagement made by the government troops.
The recovered war materiel includes, four (4) M16 rifles; five (5) M14 rifles; one (1) M79 grenade launcher; one (1) shotgun; three (3) anti-personnel mines; 200 rounds of assorted live ammunitions; and several other war materiel.
Lieutenant General Benedict M Arevalo PA, the Commander of Visayas Command (VISCOM) emphasized that “Localized Peace Engagement is an integral part of our campaign in defeating the CPP-NPA in the region. This effort has been proven to be very effective in degrading both the manpower and armed capability of the terrorist group without having our troops fired a single shot.”
It can be recalled that on June 18, an NPA’s arms cache containing four (4) firearms and four (4) anti-personnel mines was recovered by the government troops in Brgy Dao, Oras, Eastern Samar. Said effort was made possible following a revelation from a former rebel brought about by the continuous engagement by the troops to the said former rebel.
“Our localized peace engagement will be sustained. We will continue to engage the members of the CPP-NPA on the ground as this has provided us with substantial result in our quest to attain just and lasting peace in the region. Likewise, this effort manifests that our focus and ultimate objective is to end the local communist armed conflict and not on killing our own people,” Lt Gen Arevalo added.
Lt Gen Arevalo lauded the troops, as he urged the remnants of the CPP-NPA to return to the folds of the law, “I commend our troops for their unyielding drive to end the local communist armed conflict in the Visayas region. As such, I urge the few remaining members of the terrorist group to lay down their arms and return to the folds of the law. Heed the call of our government, and be a part of the peaceful and genuine solution to attain peace and progress in this part of the country.”
