• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Armed Forces of the Philippines Visayas Command (Viscom) has declared that the fight to win the peace and free the people from the clutches of terrorism in the Visayas region continues amid the looming exploratory talks between the national government and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
“Our focused military operations will continue as well as our localized peace engagements with the NPA terrorists who want to return to the fold of the law,” Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, Viscom chief, said in a statement on Monday.
He noted that “there is no formal peace talks yet, it’s just exploratory talks”.
“Our efforts will never waver as we remain committed to ending the local communist armed conflict in this part of the country,” Arevalo said.
A total of 15 government-initiated armed encounters took place throughout the Visayas region in November this year, which led to the neutralization of 77 NPA rebels, of which eight died during encounters in Western and Eastern Visayas.
Of the 69 rebels who surrendered, 36 are members of the Yunit Militia members while 33 are regular combatants, with 38 firearms and seven anti-personnel mines accounted for, Viscom reports indicated.
Arevalo urged the few remaining members of the CPP-NPA in the Visayas to yield to the authorities instead of waiting for the outcome of the exploratory talks.
“There is no finality to the talks yet. They must lay down their arms now and return to the fold of the law while they still can. For we will never stop pursuing them unless directed by higher authority,” he added. | GB
