Insurgency: NTF-ELCAC Seeks P10 Million For Each Barangay

The AFP says 21 towns in the Eastern Visayas have been declared rebel free. These towns are concentrated on Samar island. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1227692

A total of 21 towns in Eastern Visayas have been declared completely free from threats from the New People’s Army (NPA) and have attained Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) status, the Philippine Army reported on Wednesday. 

The municipalities conferred the SIPS status from January to June this year included Pagsanghan, Tarangnan, San Sebastian, Sta. Margarita, and Sto. Niño in Samar province; Allen, San Jose, Rosario, Capul, and Biri in Northern Samar; Bontoc and Macrohon in Southern Leyte; Palompon, Isabel, Matag-ob, Merida, and Hilongos in Leyte; and Giporlos, Mercedes, San Julian, and Taft in Eastern Samar. 

The Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division said in a statement Wednesday that these municipalities earned SIPS status due to the successful conduct of local peace engagement down to the community level and the effective multi-sectoral commitment to peace and security. 

Brig. Gen. Lenart Lelina, commander of the 801st Infantry Brigade, said that a municipality is recognized with SIPS status only when no single resident is a member of the communist terrorist group. 

"Municipalities and provinces free from insurgency are declared to have stable internal peace and security. Hopefully, the entire province of Eastern Samar will achieve this status when all its municipalities are declared insurgency-free," Lelina said. 

In the SIPS declaration in Leyte province on Monday, 802nd Infantry Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Noel Vestuir emphasized that the declaration of SIPS status represents a victory of freedom from the deceptive ideas of the New People's Army (NPA). 

“The SIPS declaration is a testament to collective efforts and commitment to peace, unity, and progress of stakeholders. It highlights the importance of embracing peace and working together to achieve reconciliation and sustained development,” Vestuir said. 

Alongside every SIPS declaration is the ceremonial signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) among the municipal task force to end local communist armed conflict and other peace partners. 

This MOU aims to strengthen the support of local governments in maintaining peace and order, conducting activities to enhance law enforcement operations, and preventing the resurgence of the NPA. 

Major Gen. Camilo Ligayo, commander of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, reiterated his call to the people of Eastern Visayas that maintaining a stable peace and security environment cannot be achieved without community support. 

"We aim to eradicate the decades-long insurgency problem in the region completely. Therefore, I urge the remaining NPA members to surrender to the government and take advantage of its programs to start a new life. The government is very willing to help you all," Ligayo added. 

The military said several areas in the region have long been peaceful; hence, the declaration of the SIPS condition is just a formal and official manifestation of the commitment of local leaders and people to sustain the peace and never allow any threat groups to gain a foothold in their communities. 

While the areas which have been declared insrugency-free are in Samar and Eastern Samar, Northern Samar remains an insurgency hot bed. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1227542

A member of the New People's Army (NPA) was killed in a clash with government forces on the outskirts of Hitapi-an village in Catubig, Northern Samar, late Sunday.

The slain rebel,  one of the five rebels engaged in a 15-minute firefight, was left by his comrades while fleeing from soldiers, the Philippine Army said in its report sent to the media on Monday.

The rebels belonged to the NPA's sub-regional guerilla unit of the front committee-15 operating in the province.

The unit is known for its involvement in intimidating, making grave threats, and extorting from the local populace and small businesses in Northern Samar communities.

This group was also responsible for the June 1, 2024 incident in Manering village, also in Catubig, where they tried to harass the Army's mobile community support and sustainment team, said Lt. Col. Richard Villaflor, Philippine Army's 20th Infantry Battalion commander.

He said soldiers seized two M16 rifles and an R4 rifle after the clash.

The clash occurred just days after the military deployed a team in the area, responding to reports from villagers regarding extortion of essential supplies from residents and farmers.

The military has coordinated with the barangay task force to end the local communist armed conflict and the municipality of Catubig to identify the dead rebels and facilitate a decent burial.

"In light of yet another unfortunate incident where another NPA member has lost his life, we extend a heartfelt plea to all remaining members of the communist terrorist group to surrender peacefully and return to your families. The government awaits you with open arms, ready to support your fresh start through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program," Villaflor said in a statement.

 In 2023 the governor of Northern Samar claimed guerrilla front committee 15 had been dismantled. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/10/4/last-2-active-guerrilla-fronts-in-northern-samar-dismantled

Northern Samar Gov. Edwin Ongchuan announced the dismantling of the last two active guerilla fronts in the province.

“The CTG Front Committees 1 and 15 are now down to 36 remaining personalities and 64 firearms. This is a testament to the Nortehanons’ determination in achieving peace,” Ongchuan said as he reported the gains made by the province during the Joint Regional Task Force (JRTF) ELCAC-8 held here recently.

However even in this announcement it is evident that Committee 15 had not been dismantled as there were still active members. 

In January 2024 the AFP also announced that Committee 15 had been dismantled. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/3/18/troops-dismantle-2-more-npa-units-in-eastern-visayas

In January, the Joint Task Force Storm formally declared the four remaining Guerilla Fronts (GF) in Eastern Visayas as dismantled.

They are the Front Committee 2, Sub-Regional Committee (SRC) Emporium; Front Committee 1, SRC Emporium; Front Committee 15, SRC Arctic, and Front Committee 3, SRC Arctic.

The Army attributed the dismantling of the four GFs and the two NPA units to the implementation of programs and projects under the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

Why announce the dismantling of guerrilla fronts when there are still active NPA rebels? Why announce regions as rebel-free when they are not rebel-free? Money.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1955360/ntf-elcac-seeks-p10-million-for-each-barangay-in-its-program

The anticommunist task force called for the increase of up to P10 million the allocation for every village under its Support to Barangay Development Program (SBDP).

“Hopefully, for every village, our proposal is P10 million,” said Rene Valera, project management office assistant director from the Department of Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) Office of Project Development Services.

DILG is part of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac).

Valera said they already complied with the Department of Budget and Management’s deadline for the National Expenditure Program for 2025.

Under the proposed 2025 SBDP budget, the NTF-Elcac has listed 870 barangays for P10 million each worth of farm-to-market roads, school buildings, water and sanitation systems, health stations, rural electrification, and other relevant non-infra projects.

To date, the government has already released a total of P28.39 billion for its SBDP.

For 2021, each village under SBDP received P20 million.

It was slashed to P4 million in 2022 and was even reduced to P2.5 million for each village in 2023 and 2024.

Villages declared rebel-free are entered into the Baragay Development Program and given millions of pesos. These declarations are very lucrative. 43 villages on Negros Island have been declared insurgency-free and are seeking development funds. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1227929

The Negros Occidental Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) is pushing for development funds for the additional insurgency-cleared villages in 18 local government units (LGUs) in the province next year.

As of Friday, 43 more barangays are considered free from the influence of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), whose five guerrilla fronts in Negros Island have already been dismantled since last year.

Under the Support to the Barangay Development Program (SBDP) of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), each village is proposed to receive PHP10 million for infrastructure projects for inclusion in the 2025 National Expenditure Program, which shall serve as the basis of the General Appropriations Act.

“The consolidated priority projects proposed by the 43 beneficiary barangays were submitted to the DILG Region 6, which they have endorsed to the National Secretariat of the National TF-ELCAC,” the DILG-Negros Occidental said in a report during the PTF-ELCAC first semester meeting on Thursday.

There are 66 total proposed projects, including 41 farm-to-market roads, 18 electrification projects, four health centers, and three school buildings.

The SBDP is a hallmark program of NTF-ELCAC with the end goal of bringing development to former conflict-prone communities.

Amazing that the Philippines needs so much development. This should be a regular process and not part of an anti-insurgency campaign. 

More NPA leaders have been killed in battle. First 3 leaders in Nueva Ecija. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/28/3-npa-leaders-among-10-fatalities-in-nueva-ecija-gun-battle

Three New People’s Army leaders were among the 10 fatalities in an encounter with soldiers in Barangay Malbang, Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija on Wednesday, June 26.

Three more NPA casualties, all females, and four firearms were recovered by soldiers from the 84th Infantry Battalion during a clearing operation at 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 27.

A total of 15 firearms, subversive documents, and personal belongings were found in the encounter site. 

Casualties were from the Komiteng Rehiyong Gitnang Luzon (KRGL). Seven of them have been identified.

Major Dondon D. Canilang, 703rd Infantry Brigade civil-military operations chief, identified the three NPA leaders as Hilario Guiuo, alias Berting acting Secretary, KRGL, and commander, Regional Operational Command; Harold Sarenas Meñosa, alias Luzon, commander, platoon Silangan Gitnang Luzon, and Pepito Trinidad Bautista, alias Dylan, team leader, Squad Tersera, platoon Silangan Gitnang Luzon. 

The four other slain NPA rebels were Reynan Mendoza, alias Mel; Archie Anceta, alias Joel; Andrie dela Cruz, alias Lay, Rowen, and Lunti, political instructor, platoon Silangan Gitnang Luzon, and Azase Galang, alias Cha.

Canilang said they are in the process of identifying the three remaining casualties – three females who were found a few meters away from their exit route. Soldiers believe they were abandoned by their comrades when they withdrew.

 Brig. Gen. Jorwin Joseph D. Pasamonte, 703rd Infantry Brigade chief, commended the 84th IB for their achievement and  their commitment to preserve the peace and security in the area.

Another high-ranking NPA leader decided to surrender. 

https://www.pia.gov.ph/armys-kalasag-battalion-facilitates-surrender-of-high-ranking-ctg-member/

The 4th Mechanized Infantry “Kalasag” Battalion of the Philippine Army facilitated the surrender of alias Rex, a high-ranking member of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG).

Rex is the former Vice Commanding Officer of the Main Area Platoon, Guerrilla Front (GF) 8, Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee, and Sec Sangay sa Partido sa Lokalidad (SPL) Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda Peacock, GF 88, North-Central Mindanao Regional Committee based in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur.

The 42nd Mechanized Infantry Company of the Kalasag Battalion, led by 1st Lieutenant Raymund Macandili, under the leadership of their Battalion Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Dennis Mark Malinit, facilitated the surrender as a result of their intensified intelligence and psychological operations.

Reports have revealed that the former rebel decided to surrender due to the hardships and pressure caused by intensified, focused military operations. These operations neutralized their movements, leading to fears of potential encounters with government forces. Additionally, they lacked resources and financial support from their organizations.

The 42nd Mechanized Infantry Company then coordinated with Tagoloan’s local government unit and the Municipal Police Station (MPS) in the area to surrender and turn over loose firearms to military forces.

Now he will have to apply not only for amnesty but for all the benefits the government is offering to former rebels. What he will not have to do is face any penalty for his crimes against the nation.