PEACE MISSION. Some of the 232 policemen during their send-off ceremony in Catarman, Northern Samar on July 11, 2022. The government is strengthening its fight against the New People’s Army in five conflict-stricken villages of Palapag, Northern Samar with the deployment of policemen part of the Retooled Community Support Program team. (Photo courtesy of Northern Samar police provincial office)
TACLOBAN CITY – The government is strengthening its fight against the New People’s Army (NPA) in five conflict-stricken villages of Palapag, Northern Samar with the deployment of 232 policemen, part of the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) team.
The 232 police officers replaced the 162 personnel deployed in Palapag, Northern Samar for months to participate in the government's whole-of-nation approach to end the decades-old insurgency.
“We held a send-off ceremony in Northern Samar last July 11 for these 232 personnel to help suppress insurgency in Northern Samar and promote sustainable peace and development among communities,” said Lt. Col. Ma. Bella Rentuaya, spokesperson of the Philippine National Police (PNP) regional office here in an interview Wednesday.
The RCSP teams will be assigned to the villages of Pampang, Paysod, Talolora, Binay, Monbon, and Jangtud in Palapag town.
Rentuaya said the new batch of police officers belongs to the Basic Internal Security Operations Course Class 33-2021. They also completed the five-day RCSP orientation.
As part of their RCSP task, they will conduct a needs assessment to identify primary and secondary issues
being exploited by the NPAs.
This action of the RCSP will make them the community’s bridge to the concerned government agencies in addressing their issues, according to Rentuaya.
In a statement, PNP Eastern Regional Director Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac expressed optimism that the people would feel secure with the presence of government forces in their area.
"The primary objective is to end the operation of the communist terrorist group in the areas and stop their deceptive recruitment. We must end their armed struggle against the government and promote peace,” Banac added.
Meanwhile, the PNP honored its 162 personnel deployed for RCSP duties in Northern Samar province during a termination ceremony at the police regional office here on July 11.
The augmentation was composed of personnel from the different police mobile force units of Leyte Police Provincial Office (PPO), Southern Leyte PPO, Biliran PPO, Tacloban City Police Office, and Ormoc City Police Office.
“As we pay tribute to our returning heroes, may we always be reminded that we are not yet done in this undertaking. It is still a work in progress; hence, we must keep the enthusiasm and vigor until we can finally say, mission accomplished,” Banac said in a statement.
The Communist Party of the Philippines (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 Anti-Terrorism Council also formally designated the National Democratic Front as a terrorist organization on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and inseparable part” of the CPP-NPA that was created in April 1973. (PNA)
