From Malaya Business Insight (Jul 19): Esperon: 11,000 NPAs, terrorists neutralized
NEARLY 11,000 communists and terrorists have been neutralized under the Duterte administration, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said yesterday.
“Neutralize,” in military language, means killing, surrender or arrest of an enemy.
“We have conducted focused operations against the communist terrorist group which, for the period, resulted in the neutralization of approximately 8,700 communist terrorist group personalities and recovery of 2,246 firearms,” Esperon said referring to the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
The NPA, according to latest military figures, has only about 3,900 members. Sources said the 8,700 figure cited by Esperon are mostly NPA supporters.
Esperon disclosed the figures, which came from the defense and military establishments, during a pre-State of the Nation Address conference held in Pasay City.
The Duterte administration resumed formal talks with the communist group in August 2016. The resumption of the fifth round of formal talks, which was supposed to be last month, was postponed by President Duterte pending a review of all agreements the government and the communists have signed.
On terrorist groups, Esperon said government forces have killed 955 members of the Maute group and 35 others were arrested during the five-month Marawi City siege that started in May last year.
Esperon said the operations in Marawi City also resulted in the recovery of 902 assorted firearms, 2,594 ordnance and explosive devices, 12 kilos of shabu and rescue of 1,918 hostages.
http://malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/esperon-11000-npas-terrorists-neutralized
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