‘Army won’t pull out from Negros’

Despite the dismantling of all New People’s Army (NPA) guerilla fronts in Negros Island, the Philippine Army will not pull out its forces in the province.

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said this following the 3rd Infantry Division of the Army’s recommendation to place Negros Island under the state of Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS).

Gov. Lacson said the Regional Peace and Order Council which he chairs, will meet on March 13 to discuss if they can already make such declarion it.

“But obviously, we recognize the gains and accomplishments of the Philippine Army. On the part of the local government units, it is our civic duty to stay in those gains, by providing assistance to previously conflicted areas,” he added.

Maj. Gen. Marion Sison, 3rd Infantry Division commander, in a statement, said the SIPS declaration in a locality “will attract new investments, generate more jobs, and provide opportunities to Negrenses.”

Sison supervises the internal security operations of six Army battalions in Negros Island.

The 3ID declared that all the five existing NPA guerrilla fronts in Negros Island have been dismantled, but the focused military operations against rebel remnants are still ongoing to prevent them from recovering their lost territories and recruiting new members, according to Lt. Col. J Jay Javines, 3ID Public Affairs Office chief.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines Visayas Command reported that all NPA-infested communities in the Visayas region “have already been cleared and its community engagement efforts are now geared towards preventing the resurgence of the CPP-NPA.”

“But again,” Lacson said, “we cannot just rest on the availability of the Philippine Army to secure those areas. The LGUs really have to do their part.”

Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, AFP Visayas Command chief, attributed much of what they have accomplished in the campaign against the CPP-NPA in the Visayas region, to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC).

“The Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict does wonders in our efforts to end the local communist armed conflict in the Visayas region. Much of what we have accomplished is attributed to the Task Force through its peace dialogue mechanism, community development initiatives, and local government empowerment endeavors,” Arevalo said.

He also said that the completion of 562 community development projects, under NTF ELCAC, led to the permanent closure and complete resolution of the issues being exploited by the CPP-NPA to recruit and deceive the people to go against the government, and resulted in the collapse of its political structures, in rural and urban communities.* (EYAdiong)