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Palace to Armed Forces: Submit formal request for anti-communism task force creation

September 23, 2018 | 4:45pm

Palace to Armed Forces: Submit formal request for anti-communism task force creation

In this Nov. 23, 2016 photo, New People's Army's new regional rebel commander and spokesman Jaime Padilla, center, who uses the nom de guerre Comrade Diego, walks with young guerrillas after having their photos taken at their rebel encampment tucked in the harsh wilderness of the Sierra Madre mountains southeast of Manila, Philippines. Young Filipino rebels represent a new generation of Maoist fighters, who reflect the resiliency and constraints of an insurgency that has dragged on for nearly half a century through six Philippine presidencies. Crushing poverty, despair, government misrule and the abysmal inequality that has long plagued Philippine society were their best recruiter, according to the guerrillas.

AP Photo / Aaron Favila, File

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang Sunday asked the military to put in writing its request for President Rodrigo Duterte to create a task force that would put an end to the decades-old communist rebellion in the country.

In an interview aired last Friday, Armed Forces chief Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. told ABS-CBN News Channel that the military is asking Duterte to issue an executive order forming an inter-agency body that would counter the Maoist insurgency.

Galvez said the proposed task force would work not just on military measures but also on information, diplomatic, and political efforts. He said the military needs the assistance of civilian agencies in countering the political struggle of communists, including their supposed attempt to infiltrate the government.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the Palace agrees that ending communist insurgency in the country "entails a whole-of-government approach."

"The Armed Forces of the Philippines, which requested the creation of a national inter-agency task force, may wish to coordinate and submit its formal recommendation to the Office of the President, through the Office of the Executive Secretary, for the drafting of an executive order in this regard," Roque said in a statement.

In 2011, the military implemented security plan "Bayanihan," which sought to strengthen the participation of civilian agencies and non-government stakeholders in the campaign against insurgency. The communist rebellion persisted after the security plan ended in 2016.

"Bayanihan" was replaced with "Kapayapaan," which seeks to defeat terrorist groups and to support the peace process with communists, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Moro National Liberation Front.

Last week, Duterte predicted the defeat of the communist rebellion by the second quarter of 2019 and vowed to continue strengthening the capabilities of the Armed Forces.

He said many rebels have surrendered to the government and have provided valuable information.

Previous presidents have also promised to put an end to the communist insurgency, the oldest existing Maoist insurgency in the region.

Peace talks between the government and the rebels were canceled after Duterte had claimed that the communists are pushing for a coalition government, a power-sharing arrangement that he said is prohibited by the constitution.

He also lambasted the New People's Army NPA, the armed wing of the communists, for carrying out offensives against security forces and civilians while the negotiations are ongoing.