Esperon: Gov't winning war vs insurgency terrorism

ASINGAN, Pangasinan – Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. foresees a smaller, less effective New People’s Army (NPA) by the time President Arroyo ends her term in 2010.

Speaking at the inauguration of a police station in his hometown of Asingan, Esperon said NPA fronts in the Ilocos region and Central Luzon have already been dismantled.

“And we hope really that by 2010, the Communist Party’s New People’s Army will be reduced to a very insignificant, negligible level to a point that they could no longer launch major or coordinated offensives,” he said.

Esperon said once the communist rebellion has been downgraded, the military can devote more time and personnel in developmental projects.

“We are now going into the phase where the local government units can take over with the Philippine National Police (PNP) but still with the AFP as a major component of the anti-insurgency internal security operation,” he said.

Esperon said the military is now geared toward the development phase of the internal security operations in anticipation of the breakdown of the communist rebellion.

By then, the rebellion will become a police problem, he added.

Esperon was in Asingan yesterday with townmate, former President Fidel Ramos, to join the Taray Ti Asingan (Run of Asingan) as part of the town’s fiesta celebration.

RP, Indonesia join forces vs terrorism

In Davao City, Indonesian Vice Consul F. Bernard Loesi said the PNP and the Indonesian police will strengthen their fight against transnational crimes, including terrorism.

“This cooperation between the police forces of the two countries has been going on for a while already but it shall be further strengthened with the joint activities that have been lined up for the rest of the year,” he said.

Loesi told The STAR the two police forces shall discuss during their joint committee meeting on April 21-24 in Bali, Indonesia the pressing issues on terrorism, trafficking in persons/human trafficking, arms smuggling, eliciting drug trafficking, sea piracy, international economic crime and money laundering.

“We are still awaiting the results of the Bali meeting,” he said.

A joint training in combating transnational crimes between Filipino and Indonesian law enforcers is also expected to be held in September either in Cebu City or at the Jakarta Center for Law Enforcement Cooperation, Loesi said.

The two countries are expected to come up with their respective recommendations on actions to be taken and areas of cooperation that shall jointly be implemented.

While Indonesia has been considered as the main base of the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah international terrorist network, the Philippines, particularly Mindanao, is noted to be a training ground of the terrorists.

JI members were reported to have freely crossed the waters between Indonesia and Mindanao. – Eva Visperas, Edith Regalado