News and UpdatesIn the NewsArmy confident of ELCAC goal

Army confident of ELCAC goal

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The commander of the Philippine Army’s 302nd Infantry Brigade is optimistic that the Negros Oriental Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict will achieve its goals on or before the deadline set by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Speaking at a “Kapihan sa PIA forum” Wednesday at a local hotel here, Col. Noel Baluyan said under the President’s Whole-of-Nation Approach under Executive Order No. 70, the NOTF-ELCAC has so far initially reported gains through the recent Dagyawan: Talakayan sa Mamamayan where issues and concerns in the conflict-affected villages were discussed and submitted to the different government agencies for immediate action.

He said at the regional level of the TF-ELCAC, all its resources, focus, and efforts are poured in Negros Oriental, considering that it is the only province in Central Visayas that is facing the insurgency problem.

Baluyan admitted, however, that a vacuum was felt following the pull-out of military troops from Negros Oriental for deployment to Mindanao.

The province of Negros Oriental was declared “conflict manageable and development ready” in 2014 by the military and police.

“This time, we have told higher headquarters that once an area has been cleared. “Let us take hold of it to prevent the insurgency problem to re-surface,” Baluyan said.

While it is difficult as yet to give a total assessment of the gains of the NOTF-ELCAC because of its continuing efforts, the Army commander said the insurgency problem is at a manageable level in the second and third districts of Negros Oriental.

It is in the 1st district of the Province that the problem posed by the Communist New People’s Army continues to be a “concern”, he said, but with reassurances that the military and the police are pursuing the insurgents.

The recent encounters in Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental show that the government’s ELCAC program is gaining ground, Baluyan said.

The efforts should be island-wide and not kanya-kanya (to each his own), referring to collaboration and coordination between the two Negros provinces that share a common boundary, he added.

“I don’t see any reason why we cannot achieve the end goal of EO 70 as we are seeing a positive response already to the TF ELCAC’s efforts at this time,” he said.

After the first round of the NOTF-ELCAC’s Dagyawan in the 16 villages identified as affected by the communist insurgency, Baluyan said additional barangays are recommended for inclusion on the list although it is up to the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency to make the final recommendation. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)

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