CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY: Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Jose C. Faustino Jr. (pic) has said that the military is on track in its mission to crush the communist movement by the middle of next year, citing the significant gains of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
Faustino, who is set to retire next month, visited troops of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) here on Wednesday, and led the demilitarization of 316 firearms seized from New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in various operations from February to December last year.
The firearms, mostly M16 and AK47 assault rifles, were cut into pieces using a circular band saw and then burned.
“Right now, we are on target,” Faustino said, referring to their self-imposed deadline of crushing the NPA by the time President Duterte bows out of office on June 30, 2022.
Faustino particularly pointed to the dwindling strength of the rebels in the eastern Mindanao region where he used to hold command as an Army official.
Northern Mindanao local leaders are proposing the inclusion into the programme of 178 more villages by 2022.
With the entry of development into these communities, Faustino said the villagers will be effectively weaned from rebel influence.
In the last several months, the rebels in Northern Mindanao have suffered serious setbacks from military operations, mainly through deaths, captures and surrenders of fighters.
Early this month, a former guerrilla led authorities to a large cache of explosives kept by the NPA in Bukidnon.
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