NSFA, Panacan, Davao City - The New People’s Army are on the run after more and more communities and Local Government Units (LGUs) are declaring them "persona non grata" in their respective communities denying them of space to hide and maneuver from the long arm of the law and pursuing troops.
From January 1, 2019, to March 21, 2019, troops figured in a total of 59 armed encounters in different instances all-over Eastern Mindanao.
These resulted in the death of 16 Communist NPA Terrorist (CNT) and the capture of 22 others. This further resulted in the reduction of their armed capability with the capture and surrender of firearms totaling to 181 (116 HPFAs , 65 LPFAs) and 63 International Humanitarian Law banned landmines.
In the morning of March 21, 2019, troops from the 30th Infantry Battalion encountered CNT members along Upper Sangay, Barangay Anomar, Surigao City, Surigao Del Norte. The incident resulted in the death of one CNT member, the capture of one M16 rifle, recovery of three International Humanitarian Law banned anti-personnel landmine, landmine paraphernalia, and other CNT belongings.
The afternoon of the same day, another encounter transpired at the outskirts of Sitio Bulak, Barangay Lower Olave, Buenavista, Agusan Del Norte between the patrolling troops of 23IB under Ltc Francisco Molina and an undetermined number of CNT members.
No casualty was reported during the said skirmish.
In Davao City, troops from 3rd Infantry Battalion (IB) encountered an undetermined number of the CPP-NPA Terrorist Group (CNTG) members along the periphery of Barangay Tambobong, Baguio District in the morning of March 22, 2019.
This came after the Ovu-Manuvu tribe in the said Barangay declared the NPAs "persona non grata" in their ancestral domain on February 25, 2019,
For the first quarter of 2019, 12 resolutions from Barangays, Municipalities, Provinces, and Tribal Councils were already passed declaring the CPP-NPA in their respective localities and areas as "persona non grata" while another three resolutions were passed on the late part of December 2018.
The Province of Davao Oriental also prohibited the CPP-NPA-NDF and declared them as undesirable in the whole province, after the Provincial Peace and Order Council passed a resolution on February 19, 2019, to that effect.
On February 15, 2019, villages in Surigao del Norte particularly Camam-onan and Gigaquit, both villages that are known where the NPA thrive for the past years, banned the CPP-NPA-NDF when they declared them as "persona non grata" on February 15, 2019.
Compostela Valley Province likewise passed a resolution condemning and declaring the CPP-NPA-NDF as persona non grata in the whole province last January 25, 2019.
In the same manner, the Ovu-Manuvo Tribe in Kinarum, Magpet and Datu Ladayon, Arakan both of North Cotabato declared the NPAs as "persona non grata" on December 19, 2018 l, while 21 Barangays in Malaybalay, Bukidnon and the whole Municipality of Sibagat, Agusan Sur declared the same on October 23, 2018, and December 21, 2018, respectively.
The obtaining situation also resulted to the surrender of regular CNTG members, Militia ng Bayan members and the collapse of different underground mass organizations as its members continuously dissociate themselves from the CNTG.
For the period, a total of 130 NPA regulars and 79 Militia ng Bayan surrendered along with 88 mass supporters and members of the underground mass organizations who denounced their affiliation and support to the CNTG.
Meanwhile, Lt. General Felimon T. Santos Jr., recognized the effort of the different communities in pursuing their own respective efforts.
"The military cannot do this alone. Peace can be achieved if we put our acts together. Let us continue working together to bring peace in our communities and encourage those who continuously embrace the armed struggle to join us," Lt. Gen Santos Jr. said.
Source: Public Information Office, Eastern Mindanao Command
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