VILLAGE TF VS. NPA. The Philippine Army 8th Infantry Division assistant commander, Brig. Gen. Ramil Bitong gives a brief talk about the New People's Army (NPA) activities in the region during a media forum in Tacloban City on Monday (Nov. 19, 2019). The army pushes for the immediate operation of the anti-terrorist task force to end local communists' activities down to the barangay level. (Photo courtesy of An Rehiyon Otso Yana)
The Philippine Army pushes for the immediate operation of the National Task Force to End Local Communists Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) at the barangay level in Eastern Visayas.
The NTF-ELCAC created under Executive Order No. 8, is a convergence of all government agencies to attain peace and end the long-time conflict between the government and the communist group.
Brig. Gen. Ramil Bitong, assistant division commander of the Philippine Army’s 8 Infantry Division on Thursday, said the most critical part in fighting insurgency is at the barangay level, considering the village officials are the people most aware of the New People’s Army’s (NPA) activities in their communities.
“They are the people closest to the ground and know who among their constituents are members of the Communist Party of the Philippines–NPA,” Bitong told reporters in an interview, citing names of some officials who have children and relatives known as NPA members.
With the task-force ELCAC down to the barangay level, it would be of big help for the authorities to reach out to the villagers who are victims of persuasion of the NPA and convince them to come down from their mountain lairs, Bitong said.
As of October 2019, the NPA in the region has 506 active members and 447 firearms, affecting 144 remote villages in the region.
Although no barangay has yet to operate the task force ELCAC, there are 73 out of 4,390 villages regionwide that have formally declared the NPA persona non grata.
The Philippine Army pushes the declaration in villages and has been providing templates of the declaration to local government, with some translated into local dialects for village officials to understand its content.
The presence of the rebel group in the remote villages in the provinces, especially on the island of Samar, is considered a major setback for the region’s overall development.
“No organization ever existed without funds so we should stop feeding and providing them resources,” Bitong said.
The NPA, which has been waging a five-decade armed struggle against the government, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canda, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1086837
The NTF-ELCAC created under Executive Order No. 8, is a convergence of all government agencies to attain peace and end the long-time conflict between the government and the communist group.
Brig. Gen. Ramil Bitong, assistant division commander of the Philippine Army’s 8 Infantry Division on Thursday, said the most critical part in fighting insurgency is at the barangay level, considering the village officials are the people most aware of the New People’s Army’s (NPA) activities in their communities.
“They are the people closest to the ground and know who among their constituents are members of the Communist Party of the Philippines–NPA,” Bitong told reporters in an interview, citing names of some officials who have children and relatives known as NPA members.
With the task-force ELCAC down to the barangay level, it would be of big help for the authorities to reach out to the villagers who are victims of persuasion of the NPA and convince them to come down from their mountain lairs, Bitong said.
As of October 2019, the NPA in the region has 506 active members and 447 firearms, affecting 144 remote villages in the region.
Although no barangay has yet to operate the task force ELCAC, there are 73 out of 4,390 villages regionwide that have formally declared the NPA persona non grata.
The Philippine Army pushes the declaration in villages and has been providing templates of the declaration to local government, with some translated into local dialects for village officials to understand its content.
The presence of the rebel group in the remote villages in the provinces, especially on the island of Samar, is considered a major setback for the region’s overall development.
“No organization ever existed without funds so we should stop feeding and providing them resources,” Bitong said.
The NPA, which has been waging a five-decade armed struggle against the government, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canda, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1086837
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