By Jennifer P. Rendon
The Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 said 59 suspected rebels were killed in various encounters in Western Visayas from January 1 to June 30, 2023.
The number is a 742.86 percent increase from the 7 casualties last year.
Major Mary Grace Borio, PRO-6 spokesperson, said that community engagements have been a factor in the dramatic increase in the number of neutralized NPA members.
“We have been receiving A-1 information. That’s why our combat operations usually resulted in armed engagements,” he said.
But the PRO-6 gains in internal security operation (ISO) did not end in neutralizing scores of rebels.
PRO-6 records showed that there was also an increase in the number of arrested rebels.
From 10 last year, 16 NPA members were arrested this year.
Also, 20 individuals “withdrew” their support from the NPA movement this year. In 2022, there were only 10.
Borio said 93 rebels surrendered in the first six months of this year. Last year’s rebel surrenderers totaled 31.
She clarified, though, that the number of NPAs who actually surrendered could be higher since the 93 rebels are those who yielded to PNP units only.
“I believe that there are a good number who also surrendered through the Philippine Army,” she said.
Borio attributed these gains to the efforts of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC 6), which has PRO-6 as one of its members.
It also helped that the PNP and the Philippine Army have continued to reach out to rebel-affected areas through the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP).
RCSP is a “people-centered” program, which aims to bring peace and development in conflict-affected barangays. It is an initiative of state forces to bring the government closer to the people through an immediate delivery of basic services, especially to grassroots communities.
“We have seen many surrenderers because we were able to reach to kin of NPA members who urge them to lay down their arms,” Borio said.
The government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) has also made wonders in urging the rebels to surrender.
Aside from livelihood assistance, the E-CLIP assistance also covers education, housing, medical, and other social services that are deemed necessary for their reintegration into mainstream society.
