Task force vs. insurgency in CV to be formed soon

CEBU, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command is set to lead the creation of a task force to end local insurgency in the Visayas.

The creation of the task force was decided during a meeting attended by over 50 officials from the AFP and the Philippine National Police. A holistic approach against the insurgency was proposed during the meeting.

In the closed-door conference, AFP-CentCom commander, Lt. Gen. Noel Clement, said that the new strategy will not just involve security and law enforcement agencies of the government but several other agencies as well.

“We have been advocating for the participation of other agencies, finally have approved to create a national task force that will address the problem,” Clement told reporters in an ambush interview yesterday.

He said that this will be a whole-nation approach and will bring government services closer to insurgency-torn areas in the Visayas. The main objective is to convince communists engaged in the armed struggle to surrender.

He added that most of the target areas are in Bacolod, Leyte, Iloilo, and Negros Island. He said Cebu remains to be relatively free of the communist armed struggle.

“Kasama na dito ang livelihood for our people and once ma-clear ang areas, hindi na makakabalik ang problema sa insurgency,” he said.

Clement said that this is a step closer to bringing peace in areas considered to be in a state of lawlessness due to the communist insurgency.

Based on previous reports, President Rodrigo Duterte has declared a state of lawlessness in the area of Negros Island, Samar, and Bicol, which called for additional policemen and soldiers to be deployed to “suppress lawless violence and acts of terror.”

This time, Clement reiterated that it is not just for the law and order agencies. — BRP (FREEMAN)