NPA influence in Caraga villages declines in 4Q ‘22

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 9, 2023): NPA influence in Caraga villages declines in 4Q ‘22 (By Alexander Lopez)

Brig. Gen. Pablo Labra II, director of the Police Regional Office in the Caraga Region.

BUTUAN CITY – The influence of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in Caraga Region's remote villages has significantly declined during the past four years, a police official said Thursday.

In a statement Thursday, Brig. Gen. Pablo Labra II, director of the Police Regional Office in the Caraga Region (PRO-13), said the assessment was based on the 4th Quarter 2022 Joint Armed Forces of the Philippines–Philippine National Police Intelligence Committee in Eastern Mindanao report.

“There is a remarkable decline of the NPA influence in the region as the number of affected barangays was down to zero in the fourth quarter last year from 85 barangays listed during the same period in 2018,” Labra said.

The Caraga Region has 1,311 barangays in its five provinces.

Meanwhile, Labra said the NPA also suffered a reduction in numbers from 472 fighters in 2018 to 271 regular members by the end of 2022. The rebels' 501 firearms also decreased to 267 firearms in the same period.

“The issuance of Executive Order Number 70 institutionalizing the whole-of-nation approach in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace and the creation of the National and Local Task Forces to End Local Communist Armed Conflict are the main factors of the decline of the CTG influence in the region,” Labra said.

He also credited the effective implementation of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program in the overall effort to eradicate the NPA influence in far-flung areas.

The death of top communist leaders, including Jose Ma. Sison and George Madlos, also compelled other rebels to abandon the movement and return to their families.

In addition, Labra said the aggressive anti-insurgency operations of PRO-13 and the military resulted in the weakening and dismantling of several NPA guerrilla fronts in the region.

The weakened fronts included the NPA Guerrilla Fronts (GF) 16, 21, 30, and 19, while the GF3 was dismantled.

The remaining NPA units in the region included the Sub-Regional Commands of Northland, Southland, Westland; the SRC3 of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee; and the SRC4 of Southern Mindanao Regional Committee.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196984