THE PHILIPPINE Army in Northern Samar is largely counting on the support of locals to win the war against the New People’s Army (NPA) in the province.
Philippine Army’s 20th Infantry Battalion spokesperson 2nd Lt. Joyce Ann Bayron said on Wednesday the recent recoveries of war materiel can be attributed to the collaboration between soldiers and community members.
On March 28, residents of Can Maria village in Lapinig, Northern Samar revealed to soldiers the location of the NPA lair where they recovered several short firearms and ammunitions, four anti-personnel mines with a detonator, four hand grenades, and subversive documents.
Acting on tips from local, government troops found a caliber 38 gun and several ammunitions, sim cards, assorted subversive documents, a revolutionary cap, battle dress attire, and raincoat from a house in Siljagon village in Mapanas, Northern Samar on March 25.
“Successful recovery and discovery of war materials is one of the positive effects of local peace engagement in strengthening the efforts of our community support program (CSP) teams in dealing with communist insurgents,” Bayron added.
CSP is a flagship program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines used to clear communities of NPA infestation while neutralizing the politics-military structure the rebels established in the villages.
It involves immersion of personnel in the identified barangays and the conduct of various community engagements geared towards addressing the needs of the people.
The partnership between locals and soldiers is part of the localized peace engagement, a mechanism that enables the government to not only directly engage the rebels in a peaceful discourse but also touches base with residents in communities affected by the armed conflict.
The strategy is one of the 12 clusters of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, the multi-agency body created under Executive Order No. 70 or the whole-of-nation approach.
Activities include forums involving the youth, labor, and indigenous peoples (IPs) sectors, provision of immediate cash assistance and livelihood interventions to former rebels, continuous consultations with families of combatants, and the protection of industries from the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA infiltration.
Meanwhile, the official said the military will continue its relentless effort in making the communist terrorist group irrelevant in Northern Samar despite recent treacherous attacks targeting government forces.
On April 4, the NPA detonated the internationally banned anti-personnel mines that killed a police officer and wounded three other policemen and two soldiers while heading to Las Navas town center to get booster shots.
Police and military officials said on April 5 that criminal charges will be filed against members of the communist terrorist group for the attack.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
The Anti-Terrorism Council also formally designated the National Democratic Fund 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. (Sarwell Meniano)
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