NPA LOSING GROUND. The cadaver of a suspected fighter of the New People's Army (NPA) is being blessed by a local clergyman as barangay and military officials look on. The fighter was killed in an encounter with the Army's 65th Infantry Battalion on Wednesday, February 12, in an upland village in Cagayan de Oro City. (Photo courtesy of 4ID)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- The Army's 4th Infantry Division (4ID) claimed it has "tactically outclassed" the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), noting the successful operations against the guerillas in Northern Mindanao and Caraga regions.
In a statement Friday, the 4ID attributed its gains to its Community Support Program (CSP) immersion in its areas of responsibility, where it said locals have voluntarily provided information on the movements of communist rebels.
The 4ID said the recent operations against the NPA on February 11 and 12 in Cabadbaran, Agusan del Sur, and Cagayan de Oro City, resulted in the dismantling of two rebel hideouts and the killing of a rebel. The operations also led to the recovery of several firearms and ammunition.
In both instances, the 4ID said residents and village officials played crucial roles in terms of providing tipoffs. It also helped, it said, that local governments in most parts of the two regions have declared the CPP-NPA and its front organizations' persona non grata.
The Army division also credited the initiatives of the regional, provincial and city task forces to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) in Northern Mindanao and Caraga.
Maj. Gen. Franco Nemesio Gacal, 4ID commander, said the division's success against the "CPP-NPA terrorists' (CNTs)" can be attributed to the "convergence efforts of the local populace and the security forces to locate the armed group and address the root causes of insurgency."
Gacal also vowed government troops will continue to hold peace and development activities in "conflict-affected and geographically-isolated and disadvantaged areas that the rebels will abandon their armed struggle."
“Once again, I am calling on the remaining members of the CNTs to return to the fold of the law. The door is wide open for you to return to mainstream society and live peacefully with your families and loved ones. The security forces, together with the local leaders and the government agencies, are ready to help you,” he said.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA)
