Security forces are gearing up to carry out a full-scale offensive against communist rebels and to hunt down their leaders.
On Thursday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police signed an agreement to strengthen their joint counterinsurgency operations down to the provincial level.
AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo A帽o said the military would intensify operations against the New People鈥檚 Army and recapture rebel leaders who had been freed to participate in the peace talks that had been canceled by President Duterte.
鈥淲e cannot go on doing our job independent (of each other). This is both an internal security operation and law enforcement operation,鈥� A帽o said.
Maj. Gen. Rhoderick Parayno, commander of the Army鈥檚 2nd Infantry Division, said the rebels in Southern Luzon had intensified their recruitment during the ceasefire period. 鈥�CYNTHIA D. BALANA, JEROME ANING AND DELFIN T. MALLARI JR.