THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has served notice it is on track in meeting its objectives under its ongoing internal security operations (ISO), as it gears up to shift its full focus on the country’s territorial defense by way of its ongoing modernization program.
The military puts its level of progress thus: in the stage of “clearing operations” in the war against local threat groups, particularly local terrorist groups and the New People’s Army (NPA).
The neutralization of the Mindanao-based terrorists and foremost, the NPA, whom the military listed as the primary threat group, are the only remaining hindrances to the military’s shift to external defense.
No less than Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana said that all threat groups have been on the retreat in past months, as shown by the consistent arrest and surrender of their members and followers.
The number of attacks has also declined, thus prompting even the Commander in Chief to declare that the communist-led insurgency being waged by the NPA may be over by June next year.
On the run
LORENZANA said the focused operations conducted by soldiers against the Abu Sayyaf Group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and the Dawlah Islamiyah, all in Mindanao, have degraded these groups’ capabilities to stage attacks on a bigger scale as what they have been used to undertake.
“As of the period, 591 were neutralized, out of which 232 surrendered and 474 firearms were recovered,” the DND chief said at the 79th anniversary of the Department of National Defense on Wednesday.
“[The] enemy-initiated violent incidents were reduced to 114, owing to the conduct of 880 ground operations,” he added. Lorenzana said the statistics covered a one-year period.
Lorenzana said the martial law being implemented in Mindanao is helping the government deal with the terrorists, and this is why the military and defense establishments would support it—if, when and until—when President Duterte wishes to prolong it.
He said the measure is also needed in order to ensure the success of the plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic Law and the scheduled midterm elections next year in Mindanao.
“With the able guidance and leadership of our senior leaders, we have so far, been successful in the sense that it goes smoothly. With the professionalism of our troops, we have not received any single complaint from the citizens. At least, none that I know of,” the defense chief said.
Operational successes
LORENZANA said that at the current stage and success of the operations against the NPA by the military, no less than President Duterte has declared that the insurgency will be over by mid-2019.
He added the country-wide security operations against the NPA have led to the neutralization of 1,162 rebels in less than a year, 907 of whom yielded to the government.
The operations also resulted in the recovery and surrender of 1,238 firearms, 560 of which are high-powered weapons.
Since last year, the soldiers have cleared 210 formerly NPA-influenced barangays and have dismantled three of its guerrilla fronts.
“2,890 AFP ground operations were conducted, which led to lesser NPA-initiated violent incidents. Moreover, 16 high-value targets from their central committee, national organization and territorial commission such as Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao Commissions, fell into the hands of the authorities,” Lorenzana said.
Steady stream of surrender
THE defense chief said the steady stream of surrender from the rebels prompted the administration to create the “Inter-Agency Task Force Balik-Loob” in order to process communist surrenderers.
The task force centralizes the government’s reintegration efforts and oversees the “Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program,” or E-CLIP, for former rebels.
As of September this year, at least 3,443 rebels have reportedly surrendered to the government.
“E-CLIP provides former rebels with benefits and services. These are not rewards for surrendering, but are intended to give them a foothold in restarting their lives,” Lorenzana said.
The success of the operations against rebels, as the defense chief put it, was apparently among the reasons the government has also permanently abandoned its peace talks with the rebels on a national level.
A localized version of the peace negotiations with local rebel leaders is, however, being pushed. Its mechanics are still being drafted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
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