Rebel force down to 2,000 fighters — AFP

Military operations against communist terrorists continue

The Armed Forces of the Philippines said it will deal with the remaining 2,000 members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army through localized peace engagements and military operation, according to its spokesperson.

AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar said in a radio interview on Sunday that the approach is part of the five priority programs of the new Chief of Staff of the AFP, Gen. Andress Centino.

With the significant progress in the AFP’s campaign against communist terrorists through the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict initiative, Aguilar said authorities chose to initiate localized peace engagements with CPP-NPA rebels, hoping to convince them to surrender and end their long participation in the armed movement.

At least five NPA guerilla fronts are still “actively” operating in the countryside--four in Samar province and one in South Cotabato, according to the AFP.

“We see that these groups have been weakened as they are no longer able to implement the party program,” Aguilar said partly in Filipino.

Other priorities of Centino are the judicious use of military resources, maintaining professionalism and meritocracy, pushing through the modernization efforts as well as sustaining the military’s humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.

Meanwhile, Aguilar said the AFP plans to establish a proactive deployment of military assets for rescue operations to save more lives in times of crisis.

As to the reported destabilization plot in the military organization, Aguilar said, “There is really no problem in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. We stay and we are united to stand behind our Constitution.”

Despite the change in leadership, Aguilar said the implementation of the AFP’s programs remained unhampered.