The arrests were undertaken jointly with the Philippine National Police. File photo
The strength of communist rebels in Eastern Mindanao weakened in the first quarter due to high number of arrests and surrenders, the military said.
Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command public affairs chief Cpt. Alberto Caber claimed the number of New People’s Army (NPA) members as of end-March went down to 1,866 from 2,049 in the same period last year.
He said the number of NPA firearms was reduced to 2,300 from 2,379 while the number of guerilla fronts was slashed to 26 from 29.
The military, Caber said, was able to remove NPA influence in 54 villages as the number of barangays affected by insurgents was reduced to 496 from 550.
“The significant decrease in the first quarter of 2015 was due to the high number of arrested NPA members, killed NPA during encounters and NPA members who surrendered with high-powered and low-powered firearms,” Caber said.
The arrests were undertaken jointly with the Philippine National Police, he added.
Caber said they expect another “remarkable accomplishment” in the second quarter.
The Eastern Mindanao Command secures Davao, an area with huge concentration of insurgents. The military said the number of NPA rebels stood at 3,200 as of the end of 2014.
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2015/05/01/1450068/afp-npa-strength-eastern-mindanao-declines
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