TACLOBAN CITY (PIA) -- As the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) focuses on a bigger role to play against external security threat, the Philippine National Police in Eastern Visayas has readied its personnel in addressing the insurgency problem in the region particularly in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.

Police Brigadier General Vincent S. Calanoga, regional director of the Police Regional Office 8, said the Revitalized Pulis Sa Barangay Program (R-PSB) teams that were deployed recently in 14 barangays in Northern Samar will further strengthen the Community Support Program (CSP) initiatives of the AFP and the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

It has been known that both programs were used as a mechanism for local government units in identifying the local issues in the communities and the needed interventions from the government.

Despite the gains of the RCSP, the PNP has already embraced the idea that the AFP has a bigger role to play which will focus on a much profound responsibility in the future.

“We have strategically deployed our men in order to conduct community engagements, counter the CTG propaganda through information operations, and assist in the delivery of socio-economic services,” Calanoga added.

He also assured the public that there will be no duplication of the roles and responsibilities of the government forces.

“Hindi po magkakaroon ng duplication kasi ang R-PSB complements the CSP and the RCSP programs of the AFP and the DILG. Yung R-PSB ang magpapatuloy doon sa programa ng CSP at RCSP so tuloy-tuloy po ito kasi ang alam natin yung maiiwan talaga sa community eh yung LGU and the PNP kasi kami po yung mainstay doon so kailangan magkaroon tayo ng programa para hindi na muling mabalikan ng Communist Terrorist Group yung ating mga barangays na dating influenced,” Calanoga said.

Meanwhile, during his recent visit in Eastern Visayas, Police Major General Edgar Allan Okubo, director for PNP Directorate for Community Relations, expressed his commitment to strategize the R-PSB program in Northern Samar with the objective of ending the last bastion of the insurgency in the region.

“This function of sending the R-PSB is our effort to end communist insurgency here in Region 8 particularly in Northern Samar as well as of course, to assist and support the AFP particularly the Philippine Army to finish this problem which has been haunting us for 54 years already,” Okubo said.

However, Okubo emphasized that this program will not succeed if the government forces cannot win the hearts and minds of the people in the barangays, thus, it is necessary to let them know that there is still a good government that takes care of the needs of the people.

The R-PSB teams are mandated to prevent the resurgence of insurgency in CTG-affected barangays, secure and ensure the rehabilitation of barangay development programs including the projects of various government agencies and other stakeholders.

On August 17, 2023, the second batch of R-PSB teams comprising 318 police officers was deployed in seven barangays in Mapanas and Palapag, Northern Samar.

This is in addition to the first batch sent earlier to seven barangays in San Roque, Northern Samar. (MMP/CBA/PIA-8)