By: Jennifer P. Rendon
The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division said it has been gaining headway in its anti-insurgency campaign a year into the implementation of Executive Order No. 70
Brigadier Gen. Eric Vinoya, 3rd ID commander, declared that the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) was badly hurt by EO 70’s significant results.
Signed on Dec. 4, 2018, EO 70 mandates “Institutionalizing the Whole-Of-Nation Approach in Attaining Inclusive and Sustainable Peace, Creating A National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, and Directing the Adoption of A National Peace Framework.”
Its goal is to institutionalize the “Whole-of-Nation Approach” in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace.
Vinoya said that EO 70 was able to achieve its goal of addressing the root causes of insurgency through the Whole-of-Nation approach.
It also paved the way for the creation of National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) “which is continuously gaining and winning against the CPP-NPA terrorists in Central and Western Visayas,” he said.
Because the NPA’s operations have been crippled, Vinoya said the rebel group is now desperately building a fountain of lies and fabricated stories to destroy the people’s drive versus insurgency.
“EO 70 aims to achieve genuine peace. Discrediting EO 70 is like rejecting peace. Their attack without concrete basis to government’s sincere strategy is an insult to the intellect of peace loving Visayan. To those who are not fully aware of this Executive Order you can freely open and read its content through online sources,” Vinoya said.
He also urged NPA leaders and members of who are blatantly maligning EO 70 to go through its content to be enlightened.
“With EO 70, government agencies are converging their efforts toward delivering the most needed services to eradicate social issues that these communist groups are capitalizing,” he said.
Vinoya said it also offers to rebels the chance to live peacefully.
“But it is them who are maliciously and continuously rejecting peace and development. They are now showing their identity as true enemy of peace and progress,” he said.
The 3ID chief said the NPA apparently won’t still admit the glaring truth that they lost the battle a long time ago.
“Nasasaktan at natatalo na ang mga teroristang CPP-NPA dahil ang taong bayan na mismo ang umaayaw sa kanila. Binabaliktad nila ang tunay na sitwasyon kung saan sila ang bumabagsak ngayon at humihina ang lakas,” he said.
Even with their combined forces, the NPA could not possibly topple the government forces and the united front of the people.
And if Vinoya is to be asked what is the biggest cause of misery of the people in the countryside, “without a doubt, it’s the NPA.”
PERSONA NON GRATA DECLARATION
Meanwhile, Vinoya credited EO 70 and the eventual creation of TF-ELCAC to different local government units’ move in declaring the CPP-NPA as persona non life grata.
He also called other LGUs and local chief executives to take a cue from those provinces, cities, and towns that bravely stand against the CPP-NPA terrorists by declaring them persona non grata.
“Refusing to declare the communist-terrorists unwelcome is like supporting their terroristic activities,” he said.
Supporting the terrorist group, Vinoya added, is a betrayal of public trust.”
