By Sarwell Meniano/Philippine News Agency
TACLOBAN CITY — The Philippine Army has intensified its operations against the New People’s Army (NPA) in the boundaries of Leyte and Southern Leyte provinces, citing efforts of communist rebels to regain its presence in insurgent-free areas.
Armed rebels have been moving closer to Southern Leyte after they were “pressured by military operations” in Leyte province, said Lt. Col. Roberto Obaob, commander of the Philippine Army 78th Infantry Battalion.
“There are movements in Mahaplag, Leyte going to the towns of Silago and Sogod in Southern Leyte. In coordination with the local government units and villagers, we have to deny their entry,” Obaob said in a phone interview Monday.
Active operations by soldiers in rebel-infested villages of Burauen, Albuera, and Baybay City in Leyte, compelled the NPA to move to the southern part of Leyte Island.
Last March 15, Southern Leyte Governor Damian Mercado approved and signed the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Resolution 250, series of 2019, denouncing the presence of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) –NPA in their province.
Obaob lauded the local government initiative saying that this will encourage city, municipal, and barangay (village) governments to follow.
“In my talks with village officials in the boundaries of two provinces, they really don’t want to support that CPP-NPA,” the military official added.
The province, composed of 500 villages in 18 towns and once city, has been declared officially free of communist guerrillas in October 2011 through a declaration signed by the Philippine Army and the provincial government.
Southern Leyte with a population of 421,750 as of 2015, was a sub-province of Leyte until it was made into an independent province in 1959.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
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