1st legal action team vs. CPP-NPA formed in W. Visayas

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 10, 2020): 1st legal action team vs. CPP-NPA formed in W. Visayas (By Perla Lena)

WAR VS. CTGs. Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division’s spokesperson Maj. Cenon Pancito III attends a media briefing in Iloilo City on Tuesday (Nov. 10, 2020). Pancito said a legal action team has been formed to augment the fight against the communist terrorist groups. (PNA photo by 3ID-PA)

ILOILO CITY – A legal action team that will add teeth to the government’s campaign against the Communist Party of the Philippines -New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) has been formed in Western Visayas.

In a media briefing on Tuesday, Maj. Cenon Pancito III, spokesperson for the 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) of the Philippine Army (PA), said the “Joint Focused Legal Action Team (JFLAT)” has been formed by the Legal Cooperation and Peace, Law Enforcement and Development Support (PLEDS) Clusters of the Regional Task Force in Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict 6 (RTF-ELCAC 6).

He said the JFLAT Team has gathered 124 judicial affidavits of former rebels from Western Visayas composed of 53 from Capiz; 21 from Antique; five from Iloilo; and 45 from Negros Occidental.

“Same will be used for our legal offensives against the CTGs (communist terrorist groups). It has been our experience that we are not pursuing the NPAs legally. With JFLAT, we shall be able to take our positions even in court,” he said.

Pancito believed that the presence of the team will “surely hasten our anti-insurgency efforts particularly on legal aspect”.

“This will likewise help sustain our gains now that the law enforcement agencies together with the Legal Cooperation Cluster are in full force in defeating the CTGs,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pancito said the government’s relentless campaign against the CTGs have been making headway.

From January 1 this year up to present, 14 rebels in Panay have surrendered, eight were apprehended and five were killed.

The figure does not include the six former rebels who surrendered in Antique last October 29 and one from Miagao who surrendered on November 7.

The neutralization also resulted to the recoveries of seven high-powered firearms and nine low-powered firearms; confiscation of three low-powered firearms and surrender of one high-powered firearm and six low-powered firearms.

“We are proud to announce that the tactics and tools employed now by the 3rd Infantry Division are paying off. Our relentless pursuit operations have produced so much result,” he said.

He added that the relentless campaign resulted to the demoralization in the rank of the NPA.

“The result that we have right now is overwhelming and we are on track amid the pandemic,” he added.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1121393