Key Philippine Military and Insurgency-Related Events: Police, military bare dismantling of two NPA guerrilla fronts in Northern Luzon

Monday, December 21, 2020

Police, military bare dismantling of two NPA guerrilla fronts in Northern Luzon

From the Business Mirror (Dec 18, 2020): Police, military bare dismantling of two NPA guerrilla fronts in Northern Luzon (By Rene Acosta)

Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command commander Lt. Gen. Arnulfo M. Burgos (left) and Maj. Gen. Ferdinand Daway (right), director of the PNP Directorate for Integrated Police Operations-Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom), sign the document formally declaring two guerrilla fronts of the New People’s Army that attest to the dismantling of two guerrilla fronts that used to operate in the country’s northern region. The event coincided with the signing of the joint military-police campaign plan against insurgency, criminal activities and lawless groups in Northern Luzon, according to Major Mikko Magisa, Nolcom spokesman.

Two guerrilla fronts of the New People’s Army (NPA) that used to operate in key areas of Northern Luzon have been declared as officially dismantled both by the military and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Police and military officials led by Armed Forces of the Philippines Northern Luzon Command (AFP-Nolcom) commander Lt. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos and Maj. Gen. Ferdinand Daway, director of the PNP Directorate for Integrated Police Operations-Northern Luzon, led the signing of document formally declaring the dismantling of the NPA’s Kilusang Larangang Gerilya Southern Ilocos Sur, or KLG SIS, and the KLG Quirino-Nueva Vizcaya.

The KLG SIS operated in the boundaries of the provinces of Ilocos Sur, Mountain Province and Abra while the KLG Quirino-Nueva Vizcaya used to operate in the two provinces’ boundary.

A guerrilla front of the NPA is equivalent to a size of a company in the military.

“The parameters of dismantling NPA fronts are stipulated in the AFP and PNP’s Joint Letter Directive Number 3 series of 2020, which include clearing of all affected barangays, neutralization of the terrorist group’s politico-military structure and reduction of enemy strength to a squad level, among others,” Daway said during the signing of document at the Nolcom headquarters at Camp Aquino, Tarlac.

Prior to the declarations, combined AFP and PNP counterinsurgency operations resulted to a series of decisive engagements which, as described by the military, have pushed the enemies of the state on the verge of “irreversible collapse.”

Among these were the neutralization of one Regional White Area Secretary and two NPA finance officers in just a span of five days.

“These are on top of the 313 former rebels who surrendered 96 firearms this year after deciding to turn their backs from armed conflict, return to mainstream society and avail benefits under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program or E-CLIP,” Burgos said.

The Nolcom has attributed the successive operations to its effective and efficient teamwork with their police counterparts, local government units and the general public.

“Your security forces’ ability to dismantle two guerrilla fronts after this year’s military campaign is a result of the unwavering support of our elected leaders and the Filipino people who have gone tired of the NPAs’ abuses and terroristic intentions,” Burgos said.

The Nolcom commander said the “unprecedented” accomplishment in the northern part of the country against rebels” will further inspire soldiers to press the fight, “exploit our gains and finally win the much coveted peace, prosperity and development which every Filipino truly deserves.”

Burgos earlier said that the Nolcom is on track to decimate the few remaining NPAs in Northern Luzon before the end of President Duterte’s term.

The dismantling of the two guerrilla fronts came a week after Nolcom spokesman Maj. Mikko Magisa said that their command is in the process of working for the dismantling of two main NPA guerrilla units in Northern Luzon.

The different AFP Joint Task Force Commanders from across Northern and Central Luzon, as well as the PNP Directorate for Integrated Police Operations-Northern Luzon and the PNP directors of Regions 1, 2 , 3 and the Cordillera attended the signing ceremony.