MANILA – While doing everything they can to support the Enhanced Community Quarantine being implemented in Southern Luzon, a ranking Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) official said no efforts will be spared to ensure that communist terrorists will not be able to attack and commit atrocities against civilians and communities.
This, according to Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) chief, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr., in a statement to the Philippine News Agency Sunday.
"SOLCOM is vigorously supporting the Enhanced Community Quarantine in Southern Luzon to ensure that the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases) will be able to perform its mandate of stopping the spread of (the Coronavirus disease 2019) Covid-19," he added.
Parlade said SOLCOM is closely coordinating with local chief executives and other agencies like the Department of Health, Philippine National Police and Philippine Coast Guard to make sure that the local government unit officials are taking the lead in the ongoing anti-Covid-19 measures in their respective communities.
"We have to ensure that workers in poultry, livestock, and fishery sectors, as well food processing and medical supply factories, are able to report to their work, and so with health workers in hospitals, pharmacies, and clinics. We want to make sure there is an unhampered flow of foodstuff and medical supplies to communities, in SOLCOM area as well as NCR (National Capital Region)," he said.
He assured that while providing maximum support to the IATF, SOLCOM troops are not only committed to containing the spread of Covid-19 but will continue to perform their duties in securing communities and maintaining peace.
Parlade said SOLCOM will not allow the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) "virus" to inflict further harm and trauma to communities already battered by Covid-19.
"While Covid-19 inflicts the respiratory system, (the) CPP-NPA virus is probably worse, as it has inflicted close to 80,000 casualties for five decades now until the (Executive Order) EO 70 vaccine has been formulated," he added.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
"The CPP virus attacks the cerebral system, hence impacts the thinking of our young and vulnerable people. While Covid-19 has gone global, the CPP-NPA virus is global too, but afflicts mostly the Filipinos, because this strain was invented by a Filipino traitor (CPP founder) Jose Maria Sison, gone wayward and has been attacking with a mutated strain designed for vulnerable people," he said.
On guard
While engaged in efforts to contain Covid-19, the SOLCOM chief said troops will always be on guard as the CPP-NPA is known to attack treacherously civilian and military targets despite unilateral and bilateral ceasefires.
"So yes, even as we observe SOMO, we will not allow the CPP-NPA virus to attack our communities, our developmental projects, and our forces supporting the IATF. Make no mistake, if we see this virus posturing near our communities or positioning near roads for an ambush, we will be forced to attack," he added.
Parlade said he will not allow his forces to be attacked and harmed by these communist terrorists during this crisis, adding that such measure is called "community defense and self-defense".
"That's my firm order to our troops," he said. (PNA)