PNP, Army send teams to CTG-affected villages in Iloilo City

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 23, 2021): PNP, Army send teams to CTG-affected villages in Iloilo City (By Perla Lena)

CSP DEPLOYMENT. Thirty personnel from the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police (PNP) were deployed to seven barangays of Iloilo City on Friday (April 23, 2021). Lt Col Rommil R. Abayon, commanding officer of the 3rd Civil Military Operation Battalion, said that at the end of three months, they wanted to clear these barangays from the presence of communist terrorist group-front organizations. (Photo courtesy of Jerry P. Treñas FB page)

ILOILO CITY – Community Support Program (CSP) teams were deployed on Friday to seven villages here affected by the communist terrorist groups (CTGs) to make them aware of the services provided by the government.

Thirty personnel from the Philippine Army (PA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) will handle the CSPs for three months in Barangays West Timawa, North Fundidor, and South Fundidor in Molo District; Nava-is, Mandurriao; Sinikway, Lapuz; Baldoza, La Paz; and Hechanova in Jaro District.

Col. Uldarico Garbanzos, director of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), said in an interview the villages are considered "affected" because of the presence of the legal fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines –New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) who organized and mobilized people in the area through their deceptive propaganda against the government.

“We will be engaging people and the legal fronts,” he said.

Lt. Col. Rommil R. Abayon, commanding officer of the 3rd Civil Military Operation Battalion (3CMO Bn) of the 3rd Infantry Division (3ID), in a separate interview, said the "white area" CSP operation is being conducted in response to the Whole-of-Nation Approach to end local insurgency.

"The white area operation is carried out in urban areas where CTGs are doing deceptive propaganda activities through their front organizations," he said.

The white area CSP operation has six phases to include identifying and addressing issues and concerns, reorganizing/reorienting, facilitating the delivery of basic services, and implementation of programs of concerned government agencies and local government unit, education and awareness, mobilization, and operations activities and maintenance.

Abayon said while these barangays are situated in the urban area yet the indigent residents are being encouraged to join CTG-legal front organizations.

“One objective is to clear barangays from the presence of leftist organizations that are engaged in deceptive activities and let the residents become aware that these organizations will not bring them good,” he said.

During the three months duration of the program, he added that they hoped to identify and address their problems through the convergence of government services.

Before their deployment to seven barangays, the CSP was also deployed in three barangays in Jaro District.

Abayon added that they only have specific barangays out of the city's 180 identified for the program.

The Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-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, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1137788