INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The (AFP) aims to eliminate 11 remaining New People鈥檚 Army (NPA) weakened guerrilla units in the country by the end of this year, according to its spokesperson, Col. Francel Padilla.
Padilla said on Wednesday that it has always been the national government鈥檚 goal since January this year to end the country鈥檚 internal insurgency problem and transition to external defense in line with the 鈥淏agong Pilipinas鈥� movement.
鈥淲e want to end the internal insurgency problem. We want to transition already and focus on external defense. So the timelines given [by the national government] to our commanders is to finish this within the year,鈥� Padilla disclosed in a press conference hosted by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac).
鈥淯ntil the end of the year, we鈥檒l pursue the elimination of all these weakened guerilla fronts that are left,鈥� she added.
In January this year, the number of weakened guerrilla units declined from 13 to 11, as AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr reported.
READ: Only 11 weakened NPA guerrilla fronts are left, says Brawner
搁贰础顿:听NSC: NPA now weakened, 鈥榮trategically defeated鈥�
搁贰础顿:听CPP admits NPA setbacks, denies defeat
Although a weakened guerrilla unit can no longer implement programs such as recruitment and generating resources for the armed struggle, NTF-Elcac executive director Usec. Ernesto Torres Jr. earlier explained that AFP troops are still in areas where the presence of armed groups was detected.
Since its founding on March 29, 1969, the NPA has carried out the world鈥檚 longest-running Maoist insurgency.