Philippine Armed Forces Chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista addresses the media during a news conference at Camp Aguinaldo, suburban Quezon city northeast of Manila, Philippines, Thursday July 11, 2013. Bautista said government forces remain on track of a target to eradicate a 44-year communist insurgency by 2016 in that battle setbacks and surrenders have reduced the armed fighters of the rural-based New People's Army to just over 4,000. Bautista acknowledged, however, that the guerrillas remain a major security threat and have intensified attacks in recent months in the country's southeastern region. (AP Photo/Jim Gomez)
Philippine troops remain on track of meeting a target to eradicate a 44-year communist insurgency by 2016, the military chief said Thursday.
Military chief of staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista told a news conference that battle setbacks and surrenders had reduced the armed fighters of the New People's Army by more than 300 so far this year, leaving the insurgents with just over 4,000 guerrillas. He acknowledged the Maoist rebels remain a major security threat and have intensified attacks in recent months in the country's southeastern region.
Bautista said he was saddened that the guerrillas had intensified attacks in a southern region that has been devastated by a recent typhoon.
Bautista met with his top generals Thursday to assess the government's counter-insurgency plan, which went into effect in January 2011.
The rural-based insurgency is one of Asia's longest-running. The rebels' guerrilla force has been weakened from a peak of about 25,000 fighters in the mid-1980s due to battle losses, surrenders and factionalism. Washington regards the New People's Army as a terrorist group, accusing it of attacks against Americans in the Philippines.
http://www.theprovince.com/news/Philippine+military+says+track+target+defeat+communist/8645277/story.html
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