The joint Municipal Peace and Order Council (MPOC) and Municipal Anti- Drug Abuse Council (Madac) meeting of Malitbog town, Bukidnon, on Tuesday, where the issues on communist insurgency was tackled. (Contributed photo)
IMPASUGONG, Bukidnon --The Army's 8th Infantry Battalion (8IB) has called on the neighboring Malitbog municipal government to form a task group to complement the national government's Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC).
1Lt. Kenneth Cabbigat, 8IB's political officer, made the proposal during the joint Municipal Peace and Order Council (MPOC) and Municipal Anti- Drug Abuse Council (Madac) meeting in Malitbog on Tuesday.
Cabbigat said the local counterpart to RTF-ELCAC would serve to validate and respond to issues gathered by the military during its Community Support Program (CSP) initiatives in villages that have strong presence of the New People's Army (NPA).
He said the task group would be composed of local agencies that will closely monitor and facilitate the delivery of basic services to the community.
1Lt. Lorjohn Hernandez, newly installed commander of the Alpha Company, updated the council on the security situation in the area of Malitbog and the role of CSP activities in addressing community issues that are being "exploited by communist rebels" in their recruitment drive.
In a separate statement on Tuesday, Lt. Col. Ronald Illana, 8IB commanding officer, also underscored the creation of a local task group against communist insurgency to harmonize the delivery of basic services to the barangays.
“We need to form this task group because the government has many programs, only that they can’t reach the farthest barangays. Through you, we can bring these programs directly to the people," Illana said.
“I appreciate the decisions of the local officials declaring the CNTs (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army Terrorists) and its organizations persona non grata in their community,” he added.
During the meeting, the two councils also adopted a resolution declaring the NPA persona non-grata in Malitbog.
The NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA)
