DUMAGUETE CITY – The holiday ceasefire between government security forces and communist rebels in Negros Oriental went on without violations reported on both sides, a Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOPPO) official said on Monday.
NOPPO director Col. Julian Entoma said they received no report of any incident involving atrocity or even harassment by the New People's Army (NPA) members during the 16-day truce.
This is a welcome development in Negros Oriental considering that it is the only province in Region 7 (Central Visayas) still facing the insurgency problem, Entoma said.
Now that the ceasefire has ended, the police will resume its security contingency plan in the various police stations, he added.
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA and President Rodrigo Duterte announced separate declarations of a unilateral ceasefire from Dec. 23 to Jan. 7 to give way to the celebration of the holidays.
On Tuesday, Entoma met with the city and town police chiefs and unit commanders in the province for the first command conference of NOPPO for the year 2020, which was, however, off-limits to the media.
In the interview, he said he had reiterated to the police officials the "special guidance" from the Police Regional Office-7 headed by Brig. Gen. Valeriano de Leon, “to enact their security plan, be vigilant, and conduct tactical offensives against the guerillas.”
Another order is to enhance anti-illegal drug operations because of the recent recovery of about one kilo of shabu in Cebu City and the upcoming Sinulog Festival this month, which is expected to bring a spike in the number of tourists there, he said.
Dumaguete City is a known transit point for illegal drugs as Entoma admitted that there are still many drug users and pushers here.
Meanwhile, NOPPO will also resume its activities in line with the government’s program to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) under the President’s Executive Order No. 70 stipulating a Whole-Of-Nation Approach in achieving lasting peace, Entoma said. (PNA)
