EastMinCom to be more aggressive vs. insurgency
THE EASTERN Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) vowed to continue its security operations and will be more aggressive in ending local communist armed conflict next year, an official said yesterday.
Lt. Col. Ezra Balagtey, EastMinCom spokesperson, said it would take the lead with the different local government units (LGUs) to address the decades-long communist insurgency.
“We will also run after the remaining armed group,” Balagtey told the Philippine News Agency.
For 2019, EastMinCom touted its relentless and “focused” efforts this year in securing communities towards addressing local communist armed conflict.
Balagtey attributed the success to the surrender of 696 regular New People’s Army (NPA) members, the arrest of 85 rebels, and the death of 56 members in encounters.
As to the reduction of firearms, a total of 689 were surrendered while 364 were seized during encounters.
Furthermore, the improved security situation is also attributed to the continuous loss of mass base and space as 6,283 mass supporters or members of the underground mass organization dissociated and severed their ties with communist terrorist groups (CTG).
Balagtey also said that currently, about 55 municipalities, four cities, and 24 organizations in the whole area of EastMinCom declared the CTGs as “persona non grata.”
“It forced them to be mobile and consolidate in the political boundaries of various provinces,” Balagtey added.
For this year, he said the EastMinCom was relentless in their Focused Military Operations
that this will concretize and pushed the peace gains towards a peaceful area that everyone is longing for,” Balagtey said.
He also added that their accomplishment will not be possible without the support of their partners and stakeholders who took part in the improvement of the security landscapes of the areas covered by EastMinCom.(PNA)