CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) affirmed to strengthen joint efforts against security threats as top military and law enforcement officials convene on Friday, April 16.
The AFP Chief of Staff General Cirilito Sobejana and PNP Chief Police General Debold Sinas led the National Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center (JPSCC) meeting held in Camp Aguinaldo.
“The intensified conduct of our joint operations successfully resulted to the neutralization of a considerable number of enemies of the state. The increasing number of threat personalities killed, surrendered or apprehended demonstrates that we have certainly gained substantial grounds in our efforts against the Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs),” said General Sobejana.
Police General Sinas on the other hand said the JPSCC meeting is very useful in strengthening the AFP-PNP interoperability to address the country’s internal security.
“Through this fruitful undertaking we are ready to look forward with optimism as we assure the Filipino people that the PNP and AFP are now better prepared, more equipped and more confident to address the challenges ahead of us,” said PGen Sinas.
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. joined the meeting as the keynote speaker via virtual teleconferencing. Also present virtually were Undersecretary Allen of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), Unified Commanders of the AFP, and their PNP counterparts.
Secretary Esperon congratulated “the coordinated effort of the PNP and the AFP for the increased operational tempo for the NTF-ELCAC, against the CPP-NPA-NDF and local terrorist groups in BARMM.”
During the meeting, the JPSCC Joint Cells on operations, intelligence, legal, trainings and Civil-Military Operations/Police Community Relations discussed substantial accomplishments in their respective operations.
The AFP Chief of Staff and Chief PNP moreover signed joint resolutions to fortify both forces’ efforts on internal peace and security. The leaders also affirmed the dismantling of two so-called guerrilla fronts of the New People’s Army in Palawan and Bicol Region.
“We are very confident that with the signing of the AFP-PNP Joint Resolutions, this ever-growing partnership will continue to contribute to the peace and development in the countryside,” General Sobejana said.
The JPSCC was purposely created to serve as the hub for coordination and collaborative action between the AFP and PNP. It seeks to enhance military and police cooperation in order to effectively address the country’s insurgency problem and the other peace and security concerns prevailing across the archipelago. (PR)
