NEGROS Oriental Governor Roel Degamo has created a task force against the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) amid the series of killings in the province.

The creation of the task force was done during the meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council at the Old Sangguniang Session Hall, Dumaguete City Monday, July 29.

The creation of the provincial task force is aimed to end local communist armed conflict based on the implementation of Executive Order Number 70 - 2018 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte as a holistic solution employing whole-of-nation approach in addressing the root causes of insurgency to ensure peace and security in the province, following a series of killings last week.

Brigadier General Benedict Arevalo, 303rd Brigade commander (covering 1st District Negros Oriental) and Brigadier General Ignacio Madriaga, 302nd Brigade Commander (covering 2nd & 3rd Districts Negros Oriental), both expressed their confidence that the newly-created task force will boost the campaign against CPP-NPA-National Democratic Front and prevent further killings in the province.

Recent killings include those of four intelligence police officers, two barangay captains, assistant principal and a Department of Education official in Ayungon, a lawyer, a former mayor of Ayungon and a councilor of Canlaon City.

The killings were carried out by the suspected members of the CPP-NPA. (TDE)