"DON’T fall to rebels' deceptive tactics."

The warning came from Lieutenant Colonel J-jay Javines, commanding officer of the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB), as he addressed the barangay captains of Calatrava town on Wednesday, December 7.

Javines said the common tactic of the rebels is to poison the minds of the residents to develop hatred against the government.

"Let us unite and work together to win over any threat that hinders peace and progress in our communities, and achieve an insurgency-free and peaceful society," he said.

Javines was in the northern Negros Occidental locality for an information drive was conducted at Sitio Ania Dos in Barangay Winaswasan.

It was attended by the members of the Association of Barangay Captains led by its president Rogelio Salumar.

During the meeting, 79IB Civil-Military Operations Officer First Lieutenant Dansan Camua discussed the government programs, including the Barangay Development Program (BDP) and the Executive Order (EO) 70.

The EO calls for a whole-of-nation approach in addressing the insurgency problem and unlawful activities of the New People's Army's (NPA), the creation of Task Force End Local Communist Armed Conflict (Elcac) and the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (Eclip).

Private Mary Joy Acak, also of the 79th IB, meanwhile, talked about the insurgency situation in northern Negros and the infiltration efforts of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA-Nationalist Democratic Front.

She also underscored the rebels' recruitment schemes as well as various strategies of the NPA in luring local residents into their organization.