The Department of National Defense on Wednesday disclosed that the military has already dismantled at least 75 percent of communist guerilla fronts operating nationwide following intensified operations against insurgency in the country.
DND Senior Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr. stressed that the successful dismantling rebel fronts can be attributed to the government’s whole-of-nation approach in minimizing if not totally eradicating rebel forces.
He cited the DND and Armed Forces of the Philippines’ strategic victory against national threats posed by the communist terrorist group and other local terrorist groups, as only five communist guerrilla fronts remained out of the 89 active groups recorded in July 2016.
“The capability of the CTG and LTGs has been significantly diminished over the last few years. The concerted efforts of the security sector have drawn us even closer to the end of the armed conflict with the inevitable collapse of these armed groups,” Faustino said, referring to the peace-building and developmental efforts being conducted through the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.
The AFP’s Development Support and Security Plan ‘Kapayapaan’ and the DND’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program have served a total of 2,890 conflict-cleared barangay nationwide.
From 1 July 2016 to 26 September 2022, the AFP recorded a total of 10,608 regular members of the New People’s Army neutralized with more than 41,000 underground members, mass supporters and sympathizers withdrawing their support to the Communist Party of the Philippines, its armed wing NPA and National Democratic Front.
The security forces also neutralized 4,644 LTG members during the same period.
Faustino said a total of 1,386 towns and 31,254 barangays nationwide have declared the CPP-NPA as persona non grata, “indicating a widespread loss of support for the CTGs.
“This victory, of course, cannot be credited only to the DND and AFP. The gains we achieved were brought about by the harmonized endeavors of the national and local levels of government, as well as the active participation of relevant agencies and other stakeholders, through the whole-of-nation approach of the NTF ELCAC,” Faustino said.