COLLABORATION. Department of the Interior and Local Government-Negros Oriental Director Farah Gentuya and Brig. Gen. Leonardo Peña discuss security concerns during the two-day Peace and Order and Public Safety (POPS) Plan meeting on Thursday and Friday (Nov. 3-4, 2022). Peña said soldiers are continuously monitoring the movement of rebels following the recent encounters in Guihulngan City and the clashes late October in Himamaylan City. (Photo by Judy Flores Partlow)
DUMAGUETE CITY – Government troops in the central and southern parts of Negros Oriental are alerted against a possible spillover of clashes with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in the northern part of the province and Negros Occidental.
Brig. Gen. Leonardo Peña said Friday the troops are continuously monitoring the movement of the rebels following the encounters this week in Guihulngan City and the clashes late last October in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.
“We are not disregarding the possibilities of a spillover from other districts that is why our operating forces are still on guard while continuously monitoring the movement of the Communist terrorist groups, although so far none of them have come to our areas of coverage,” Peña said in mixed English and Filipino.
The 302nd Infantry Brigade’s area of coverage (AOR) is the central and southern towns and cities of Negros Oriental.
“Generally, I can say that our AOR is generally peaceful and our problem with regard to the communist terrorist group is already minimal,” he said.
The NPA’s Southeast Front in these areas has been dismantled with only a few remaining members, who are on the run, he added.
“That is why we are undertaking sustainment activities in tandem with the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (TF-ELCAC), headed by Governor Roel Degamo, who is actively participating in this whole-of-nation approach and that is why the TF-ELCAC is really functioning,” the brigade commander said.
Peña said the Local Peace Engagement Cluster of the TF-ELCAC met on Nov. 2 to revitalize its anti-insurgency activities.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government, headed by provincial director Farah Gentuya, also spearheaded the two-day Peace and Order and Public Safety Plan (POPS Plan) meeting here on Thursday and Friday for the three-year implementation of programs and projects for 2023-2025, he added.
Peña lauded the stakeholders for a “healthy relationship" in the whole-of-nation approach which has contributed to Negros Oriental being recently awarded for having the best performing Provincial Peace and Order Council “because of the great collaboration among the agencies in as far as terrorism is concerned”.
He also thanked the civilian populace for their support and active participation to help achieve peace in their communities. (PNA)
