Quezon town declared insurgency-free  

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines — Gumaca town in Quezon province has been cleared of communist rebels.

Mayor Webster Letargo, Quezon police director Col. Ledon Monte, 85th Infantry Battalion commander Col. Joel Jonson, Quezon Police Mobile Force Company commander Maj. Deo Calawit, Gumaca police chief Maj. Reden Romasanta, Department of the Interior and Local Government–Calabarzon director Ariel Iglesia and other local officials signed a memorandum for the declaration of Stable Internal Peace and Security or SIPS.

Monte said there has been no reported incident of harassment or terrorist attack in the town for almost a decade now.

“All of the 59 barangays have declared communist rebels as persona non grata,” Monte said.

Letargo issued an executive order establishing a mechanism for the promotion of localized peace talks.

Gumaca is the second town in Quezon which has been cleared of communist rebels. Macalelon attained its insurgency-free status in December last year.