EASTMINCOM: CTG Forces Plummet as over 70 of its Pillars, 5 Guerrilla Units Fall in 2020

Posted to the Eastern Mindanao Command (EASTMINCOM) Website (Dec 30, 2020): CTG Forces Plummet as over 70 of its Pillars, 5 Guerrilla Units Fall in 2020

NSFA, Panacan, Davao City - The Communist Terrorist Group s (CTG) forces continue to plummet as 72 of its members belonging to the top echelon who were once considered to be pillars of its armed operations were neutralized by the forces of the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) this year while four guerrilla fronts were also dismantled and a Pulang Bagani Command (PBC) unit was dissolved as part of the relentless bid to foil communist terrorism in the country.

Out of the 72 CTG leaders, 12 were killed, 44 yielded to the troops, and 16 were arrested on separate incidents in Eastern Mindanao.

Among the highlights of its operations was the neutralization of top CTG leader Alvin Loque, alias Joaquin Jacinto, who was the National Democratic Front (NDF) Mindanao and Komisyun Mindanao (KOMMID) Spokesperson.



Loque perished alongside his comrades after resisting arrest by the police and troops who were tasked to serve his warrants of arrest for multiple charges in Barangay San Agustin Sur, Tandag City, Surigao del Sur on December 10.

A series of encounters between Guerrilla Front 33 (GF33) and troops of the 1001st "PAG-ASA" Brigade in the hinterlands of Barangay Sto. Nino, New Corella, Davao del Norte on December 12 also led to its imminent dissolution after the guerrilla unit s top-ranking leaders and regular members were successively arrested and had surrendered to the troops and the police in separate incidents.

GF33 is among the four guerrilla units that were dismantled by EastMinCom s units in 2020 along with GF56, GF6, and GF Tala including the Regional Guerrilla Unit, Pulang Bagani Command 4 (PBC4) of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC).



Beginning January until December 28, EastMinCom recorded a total of 5,985 neutralized CNTs where 83 were killed, 117 captured, and 1,393 surrendered. Over 4,300 members of the Underground Mass Organizations (UGMOs) and other allies also withdrew their support to the CTG in the same period.

The CTG s war instrumentalities were further weakened as troops captured 875 high-powered and low-powered firearms through combat operations and the surrender of former rebels. Troops also discovered a total of 251 enemy hideouts within the same time frame.

LtGen. Jose C. Faustino, Jr., the Commander of EastMinCom, noted these achievements as a sign that more and more CNTs and their high-ranking members have already learned the hard way that "guns and goons" are not the keys to our country s progress.

"The surrender of the top CTG leaders just gives a very compelling reason to the few remaining cadres and other members to abandon the armed struggle. If they continue to ignore the call of the government to surrender peacefully, then it will only cause them more harm than good in the future," Commander Faustino said.



The Commander also enjoined the public and leaders of different institutions of our society to help EastMinCom in putting a stop to this nonsense armed struggle by being proactive in the endeavors being undertaken by the government for the sake of peace and sustainable development.

He reiterated that the country is on the right track in ending the communist armed conflict as different government agencies and other stakeholders are now knitted together for the cause of peace.

To the remaining CNTs, now is the best time to yield to the government so that you can come home to your families and be one with them in celebrating the yuletide season, especially the New Year s Day celebration," the EastMinCom Commander remarked, urging the CNTs to make the decision to surrender their new year s resolution.

Source: Public Information Office, Eastern Mindanao Command, AFP

https://www.eastmincomafp.com.ph/2020/12/ctg-forces-plummet-as-over-70-of-its.html