AMID COVID-19 CRISIS: Army, Reds clash as rebels accused of ELCAC sabotage

By Jennifer P. Rendon

No one was hurt among members of the Philippine Army’s 61st Infantry Battalion when they figured in an armed encounter with suspected New People’s Army (NPA) early morning of March 16, 2020 at Calinog, Iloilo.

Lieutenant Colonel Joel Benedict Batara, 61st IB commanding officer, said the clash erupted after soldiers received information of the presence of armed men, who were later found to be members of Igabon Platoon of NPA’s Central Front-Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay.

The group was led by a certain Jun.

Batara said 61st IB troops ran into the group around 3 a.m of Monday at the hinterland village of Binolosan Pequeño.

“We received a report about the presence of these communist-terrorists who are planning to sabotage the peace and order situation in the area despite the chaos and health issues that the province is facing today,” Batara said.

The gunfight lasted for about ten minutes before the rebels scampered to different directions.

The troops recovered three rifle grenades, a homemade M79 grenade launcher with seven ammunition, two backpacks, two hammocks, medical paraphernalia, assorted canned goods, and subversive documents with high intelligence value.

“I am urging everyone especially the community to help us and report the presence of the communist-terrorists in your area to stop them from casting more terror. Do not let them ruin your peaceful community. Let us spare the minors. Do not let your children live in fear, they have future ahead of the,” Batara said.

It was gathered that there have been rebel sightings also in Janiuay and Lambunao.

The military believed that the rebels wanted to disrupt the implementation of the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP), which is an offshoot of the LGUs commitment in support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70 (EO70) in an effort to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC).

Several barangays are being worked on for the municipality to adopt its own Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC).

Colonel Marion Sison, 301st Infantry Brigade commander, said the encounter is this result of the on-going implementation of EO70 where the RCSPis the primary tool in addressing all the issues capitalized by the communist terrorist in order to make their Arouse, Organized, Mobilized (AOM) works in their targeted barangay.

RCSP is seen to strengthen the Community Support Program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines by empowering the LGUs as the one primarily responsible in providing developmental interventions with the support from National Government Agencies (NGA’s) to address the issues identified in the CTG- influenced and threatened barangays.

“RCSP is the best instrument for us na linisin, alisin ang lason sa lipunan, ang mga bandidong komunistang terorista,” Sison said.

Meanwhile, Sison encouraged the different local government units LGUs to have a local peace engagement in their respective areas and call on the remaining members of the CPP-NPA Terrorist to avail of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) of the government to regain their future and live a peaceful and productive life together with their loved ones.