THE army in the province is urging cooperation of everyone on the anti-Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) Task Force amid the series of killings in Negros Oriental.
The Negros Oriental Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NOTF-ELCAC) is created by Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.
“The NOTF-ELCAC is a boost in our fight against the CPP-NPA-NDF in Negros. Rest assured that the Army will give our continuous commitment in its success. I also encourage the local government agencies, local government units and the people to fully support the task force,” said Brig. Gen Benedict Arevalo, commander of the 303rd Brigade based in Barangay Minoyan, Murcia.
Arevalo has attended the organizational meeting conducted by Degamo among its members on July 30.
A total of 50 participants from various agencies and local government units attended the meeting with the agenda of identifying the task team composition and roles in each of the 12 clusters of the NOTF-ELCAC implementation addressing the concerns fueling the insurgency problem.
Aside from Arevalo who also covers the 1st District of Negros Oriental; Brigadier General Ignacio Madriaga, 302nd Infantry Brigade Commander (covering 2nd & 3rd Districts of Negros Oriental); Director. Dennis Quiñones, Negros Oriental Provincial DILG Director; and Police Major Jul Mohammad Jamiri, Negros Oriental Provincial Police Deputy Chief for Operations and Planning were also present.
Degamo in his message, stressed that the government is serious in pursuing zero insurgency in the province and urged the member-agencies/units to give their commitment in its implementation.
The governor also announced the task force’s launching to be scheduled next week.
The creation of NOTF-ELCAC is in line with President Duterte’s proclamation of Executive Order No. 70 last December 28, 2018 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 providing an efficient mechanism as a government policy for the attainment of inclusive and sustainable peace.
“The killings, other terroristic acts and extortion of the CPP-NPA-NDF should be stop. Let us work together to put an end to them,” Brig. Gen. Arevalo added.
(TDE)