BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — Authorities underlined the need to sustain the gains of the whole-of-nation approach in ending local communist armed conflict (ELCAC) and localized peace engagement (LPE) through the transformation program (TP).
Fr. Adonis Bringas, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) Regional Adviser on Peace and Security for Cordillera, said the capabilities and resource generation of the communist terrorist groups (CTGs) are reduced and there are dismantled fronts all over the nation.
“What is to be done? It is to sustain the whole-of-nation approach, the localized peace engagement as well as through the transformation program; we’ll have a comprehensive peace process with the CTG,” Bringas said.
The OPAPRU as lead will facilitate the LPE mainstreaming work and the TP implementation with the goal of ending the local communist armed conflict.
BGen. Ferdinand dela Cruz, commander of the Joint Community Defense and Development Support Task Unit, said that efforts to impede the implementation of the ELCAC only prove how effective it is in addressing peace concerns.
“So, sana, tuloy-tuloy ‘yung NTF-ELCAC. Sinusungkit siya kasi nagiging effective siya,” said dela Cruz.
Meanwhile, PCol. Elmer Ragay, Deputy Regional Director for Operations of the Police Regional Office-Cordillera, said that with the implementation of ELCAC, there is a significant reduction of CTG influence in communities.
Through the whole-of-nation approach, the government is now more felt in communities, Ragay said.
There are places in the region wherein in the past, ang nakikita nila, ‘yung armado na nakasibilyan, hindi naaabot ng teacher, hindi naaabot ng government services, sino ang nagiging teacher nila? ‘Yung mga armadong grupo. But to compare things then to what is happening now especially itong ELCAC nga po nating napakaepektibo at gumagana, lumiliit na po ‘yung pagkakataon nilang [CTG] lumaki,” he explained.
Ragay agreed that there is a need to sustain the momentum of ELCAC gains in attaining peace and development.
“I-sustain lang po natin ‘yung momentum, I think we have not long to wait. One guerilla front should consist of about 50 barangays, so just imagine ‘pag nakarekober po sila ng guerilla front, napakahirap na namang i-dismantle especially ‘pag tumayo na naman diyan ‘yung political structure nila,” he added.
Representatives of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNP presented the CTG situation in the region during the OPAPRU, PIA Media Orientation in Baguio City on Sept. 23, 2024. (JDP/DEG-PIA CAR)
