BAGONG PILIPINAS FORUM. Visayas Command civil-military officer Col. Joel Benedict Batara (center), along with public information officer Lt. Col. Israel Galorio, explains to the media the accomplishments of the military in central Philippines during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum at Camp Lapu-Lapu, Cebu City on Tuesday (Aug. 13, 2024). Batara said they will wipe out Visayas’ remaining guerilla front, which has already weakened. (Contributed photo)
CEBU CITY – The Visayas Command (Viscom) said on Tuesday that central Philippines has only one remaining guerilla front, which it vowed to dismantle before yearend.
Col. Joel Benedict Batara, Viscom Civil-Military Operations head, said that although the single guerilla front operating in Panay Island has already weakened, “we continue to exert and we are asserting that this remaining guerilla front should be dismantled this year.”
“As far as other regions are concerned, there are still remnants. We can’t say a zero score as there are still remnants who are still roaming around but they are in the inconsequential level,” Batara added during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum held at Degoma Hall of Camp Lapu-Lapu here.
Viscom public information officer, Lt. Col. Israel Galorio, said that from mid-2022 to Aug. 13, a total of 186 New People’s Army rebels have been neutralized.
He said 1,401 NPA members surrendered to authorities and 1,226 received financial assistance to support their livelihood through Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program grants.
Soldiers in the Visayas have captured, confiscated or received from surrenderers 192 assorted long and short firearms.
Batara said the Armed Forces of the Philippines has registered a total of 96 mass support groups that withdrew from the communist terrorist group while 54 people’s organizations turned into cooperatives.
The national government listed 683 completed Barangay Development Projects in the Visayas while 196 are in the implementation stage, all under the Marcos administration.
“The command also conducted various activities to strengthen its ties with the people whom it serves, ranging from stakeholder engagement, community support programs, localized peace dialogues, supporting national development programs, humanitarian assistance and disaster response and other peace, and other peace-building initiatives,” the Viscom said in its report. (PNA)
