FORT BONIFACIO, Metro Manila – The Philippine Army has been winning in its operations
against various threat groups particularly the NPA terrorists since the lifting of the ceasefire last year. On November 23, 2017, President Rodrigo Roa R. Duterte signed the Proclamation 360 which unilaterally terminated the government’s peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front-Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army.
Since then, the Army, as the main force provider of the Armed Forces of the Philippines have intensified its military operations to neutralize the NPA terrorists. From November 2017 to January 2018 the sustained security operations that the Army troops conducted in various areas of the country bore good results. The Army troopers were on the upper hand in most of the armed engagements, yielding considerate losses to the enemy and neutralization of a big number of NPA terrorists.
There was also a significant increase in the number of surrenderees all over the country. “The high number of NPA terrorists who returned to the folds of the law, some even brought with them their weapons, is an indication that the NPA’s ideology is dying. Our people are already fed up about the false promises and the atrocities committed by NPA terrorists,” said Lieutenant Colonel Louie D. Villanueva, Army spokesman. He also said that the government have a good package for those who will return to the folds of the law.
Recently, President Duterte has accepted 600 former rebels in Davao City where he reiterated the government’s offer to provide protection and assistance to the former rebels. He also encouraged ex-rebel leaders to communicate the efforts of the government to their former comrades who are still fighting for the lost ideology.
“Under the good and humble leadership of Lieutenant General Rolando Joselito D. Bautista, the Philippine Army shall continue to improve its capability to attain a credible posture to be more responsive to the government’s thrust of establishing a lasting peace and development for the country,” Villanueva added.#