Military told: Be ‘peacemakers’ amid internal conflict

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on the military to take a new approach in addressing internal conflict, encouraging them to become “peacemakers” even as they fight rebel groups.

Speaking to troops during his visit to Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, on Friday, Marcos cited the need for the government forces to seek peace as much as possible to avoid possible armed conflict with insurgents.

Speaking in Filipino at the headquarters of the 401st Infantry Brigade, Marcos said the government has a “different approach” to addressing internal conflicts in the Philippines.

He said that while the government is asking its troops to be war fighters, “there is an additional dimension to the job,” which is also to be “peacemakers.”

Marcos also urged the military to support government programs providing livelihood, land and shelter assistance to rebels wanting to return to the fold of the law.

This is as he lauded the soldiers for their efforts to improve the security situation in the Caraga Region.

“It seems the progress here is good. In fact, there is a projection by the planning that by the end of the year, hopefully, the target is by the end of the year, we can say that your area is cleared. That is good progress,” Marcos said.

“And I have to congratulate everybody, and I know the life of a soldier, especially here, in this terrain. The only way to do what you are doing is to relentlessly pursue the enemy,” he said.

“Congratulations [on] the good work that you have done. Just like what I write in the guestbook, keep up the good work. Congratulations [on] your successes,” Marcos added.

Among the notable accomplishments of the Joint Task Force (JTF) Diamond

include the neutralization of 200 communist rebels/terrorists and the seizure of 311 firearms.

About 144 of the 200 rebels surrendered, 44 were killed, and 12 were capturedN

From 2021 to the present, the troops under the 4th Infantry Division helped facilitate the surrender of 2,596 former rebels, with 2,167 or 83 percent of them already awarded benefits under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-Clip).

The E-Clip grants financial assistance, livelihood training and grants, firearm remuneration, and housing and education assistance to former rebelsN

There is a reported downtrend in the presence of insurgents in the JTF Diamond’s area of responsibility, from 437 rebels in the first quarter of 2023, showing a decline of 28N6 percent to 312 as of FebN 15, 2024N

With the military’s relentless campaign, two regional insurgent committees, with a total of 312 members and 306 firearms, have retreated to the mountains and no longer influence nearby villages.