MANILA – National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Executive Director, Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr., has urged remnants of the New People’s Army (NPA) to surrender, abandon their armed struggle, and avail of the amnesty program of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
“We wish to convey our condolences to the families of those terrorists who perished in the Pantabangan clash. Nakikiusap din kami sa mga natitira pang NPA na sumuko na para maiwasan ang mga ganitong pagdanak ng dugo (We appeal to the remaining NPA rebels to surrender to prevent further bloodshed),” Torres said in a news release issued on Saturday.
He was referring to Wednesday’s firefight in Barangay Malbang, Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija that killed 10 NPA combatants.
In its report, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said at about 4:41 p.m. on Wednesday, soldiers of the Army’s 84th Infantry Battalion encountered rebels belonging to the NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyon Gitnang Luzon (KRGL).
A post-operations report said recovered from the scene of the firefight were the bodies of seven male and three female rebels.
There were no casualties reported from the government side.
Some of the fatalities were identified as rebel leaders, such as Hilario Guiuo, also known as "Berting," acting secretary of the rebel group and regional operation commander; Harold Sarenas Meñosa alias "Luzon," Ptln Silangan Gitnang Luzon (PSGL) commander; Pepito Trinidad Bautista alias "Dylan," team leader Sqd Tersera of PSGL; Reynan Mendoza alias "Mel;" and Archie Anceta alias "Joel."
Also recovered from the rebels were 14 high-powered firearms, including an M203 and a machine gun, subversive documents, and personal belongings.
Torres expressed confidence that the armed component of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) would be eliminated within this year.
“We have to end this decades-long NPA terrorism, sustain the peace gains, and strengthen our Support to Barangay Development Program (SBDP). We have to continue capacitating all the NPA-free barangays by bringing in more sustainable development and livelihood projects to increase their income and raise the quality of their lives,” he said.
Since NTF-ELCAC was created through Executive Order 70 in 2018, the 89 active NPA guerilla fronts in the country have either been weakened or eliminated. The latest military report showed that only 11 weakened guerilla fronts remain and these are targeted for elimination within the year.
According to Torres, the recent encounter with KRGL, which led to the deaths of key leaders, highlights the "weakened" state of these remaining factions.
The KRGL, once a formidable force, has been significantly weakened by the destruction of its units and the recent deaths of senior individuals, he said.
“When we say weakened, these NPA fronts have no more capabilities to launch armed attacks and cause considerable damage to targets. Most importantly, weakened fronts have no more mass bases to depend on, especially logistics,” Torres explained.
According to the latest AFP data, more or less 1,000 NPA remnants are left foraging in the forests, and they are the primary targets of the government’s amnesty through the National Amnesty Commission.
“We appeal to all the NPA remnants to avail (of) the amnesty program of the President. There are mechanisms already in place anytime these terrorists want to return to mainstream society, rebuild their lives and their families, and live in peace. We have the Local Peace Engagement (LPE) and the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP),” Torres said.
The LPE is a collective effort of the security sector, local government units, and communities in conflict-affected areas to encourage NPA remnants to surrender, regain their human dignity stolen from them by the CPP-NPA, and live peacefully with their families.
The E-CLIP offers a multifaceted transformation program for capacity building and sustainable livelihood, not only cash incentives.
“In due time, the armed component of the CPP will be eliminated. We have to put an end to this violent armed struggle. Habang ginagawa ang lahat ng ating AFP at PNP, nagsimula na rin tayong dalhin ang mga agarang serbisyo sa mga conflict-affected areas na NPA-free na through the SBDP (While our AFP and PNP are doing their best, we have also begun bringing much-needed service to conflict-affected areas that have already been NPA-free through the SBDP),” Torres said. (PR)
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