Insurgency-Free LGUs Not Exempt from Forming TF Vs. Rebellion

A ranking official of the national task force to end insurgency in the country on Wednesday said local government units declared as insurgency-free are not exempted from participating in the whole-of-nation approach in addressing local armed conflict.

National Security Adviser Secretary Hermogenes Esperon, vice chair of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), said the national plan laid down to end the communist rebellion in the country is now going down to the provincial level, including areas that have no insurgency problem.

The Regional Task Force to End Armed Conflict has been organized through the Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (CORDS) assigned per region. At the same time, regional government agencies that are members of the 12 different clusters have laid down activities and projects.

NTF-ELCAC officials were in Cebu on Thursday to spearhead the Visayas Island Group Summit with CORDS officers on ending the local communist armed conflict at the Golden Prince Hotel here.

Esperon said that after the provincial level, cities and municipalities and down to the barangay level would also form their respective task forces and make the good governance-guided whole-of-nation approach in solving insurgency in the country a “national movement”.

“In the entire country, we have 798 insurgent-influenced villages, while we have 2,385 threatened villages. Of this number, our priority for the ‘right-hand actions’, which means the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, along with other security forces, will be the first to go there and conduct an operation. The civilian government agencies would just follow,” Esperon said in Filipino during a press briefing on the sidelines of the CORDS summit.

In the ensuing week of operation, Esperon said, the government agencies will be at the forefront in the fight through the roll-out of basic services.

The geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas with high poverty incidence can be addressed right away through the projects from the government agencies, he said.

“In this aspect, we can address the problem through the retooled community support program with security element but right from the beginning, it is civilian-led. In civilian-led, it means that the leader is the barangay captain, mayor, or governor,” Esperon said.

He said the whole of nation approach does not only focus on neutralizing the armed component or the New People’s Army in the target barangays, but also in the delivery of basic services and ensuring good governance in all levels of government.

“In short, no province is exempted here because no province like bad governance. What will happen is that the governor will be supported by the national government,” Esperon said, stressing that in this aspect, the governor will take the lead in the effort against insurgency.

“I’m very sure the with our combined effort, the Philippines will be taking off faster, higher and stronger. We will see a better Philippines because we are cooperating with each other,” he added.

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr., who came to Cebu to participate in the summit, said the whole-of-nation approach in ending insurgency requires the participation of all the LGUs, even if they are not facing an insurgency problem.

For his part, Guimaras Governor Samuel Gumarin said that to sustain the momentum of the development of his province after being declared insurgency-free six years ago, the provincial government needs to participate in the national effort to end the 51-year communist rebellion. (PNA)