MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has declared Tarlac insurgency-free and has turned over the lead role in maintaining internal security to the provincial government and police.
In a statement, Col. Daniel Lucero, Army assistant chief of staff for civil-military operations, said Tarlac has been freed from the influence of the New People’s Army (NPA) effective March 23.
He said a memorandum of agreement (MOA) affirming the declaration was signed last Tuesday by the provincial government and representatives of the military and police.
Signing the MOA at the Tarlac provincial capitol were Gov. Victor Yap, Army’s 7th Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen. Irineo Espino, and Central Luzon police director Chief Superintendent Arturo Cacdac Jr.
“An insurgency-free Tarlac was a result of the whole government approach initiated by the local government unit and the AFP which ensured sustained, consistent, integrated and continued internal security measures against the insurgents,” Lucero said.
Lucero said the measures include massive combat operations, intelligence gathering, insurgency awareness programs, and developmental projects of Army engineers.
“The result was also due to the programs implemented by local governments in the area, especially in their infrastructure and developmental projects which alleviated the living conditions of the local populace,” he said.
Lucero said the loss of NPA’s influence in Tarlac is a victory against the group’s extortion activities, particularly the distribution of permits to campaign to local candidates.
The AFP said a province may be declared insurgency-free if the communist movement there is already non-existent or is too insignificant to affect the lives of its residents.
Aside from Tarlac, other provinces deemed free from the influence of communist rebels are Guimaras, Siquijor, Biliran, Marinduque, Romblon, La Union, Bohol, Aurora, Cebu, and Quirino.
The military has claimed that the NPA membership has dropped to just 4,702 last year from a peak of 25,000 in 1987.
The government has set a June 30 deadline for ending the communist rebellion in the country. – With Ding Cervantes