Insurgents' present manpower 'no more than 2,000,' says military

The current number of insurgents in the country is only about 2,000, a military official told lawmakers on Thursday, even as he admitted that "social ills" continue to inspire individuals to join armed anti-government struggle.

"Based on our assessment, the manpower is no more than 2,000 insurgents and approximately the same number of firearms," said Vice Admiral Rommel Anthony Reyes, deputy chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, during a budget presentation at the House of Representatives.

Responding to Zamboanga Sibugay Representative Wilter Palma's inquiry on why the insurgency problem persists, Reyes said the military's strategy of fighting insurgents with weapons has not been enough, given that individuals are enticed to join anti-government forces due widespread social ills.

"The root cause [of insurgency] is that there are groups taking advantage of the presence of social ills, social injustices such as poverty and ignorance. For so long a time, the military is just addressing the military aspect of insurgency," Reyes said.

Reyes said the creation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in 2019, which seeks to address the root causes of insurgency, has drastically reduced the insurgents' force.

House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro then asked Reyes if he is conceding that social injustices are still pervasive and that the government has to address these.

Reyes replied in the affirmative, saying that addressing social injustices should be done through peaceful means.

"Hindi naman talaga totally mawawala ang social injustices, at dapat i-address ito ng gobyerno [Social injustices won't be totally eradicated, and the government must address this]," he said.

"Hindi po bawal ipaglaban ang social injustices, poverty, o kung ano mang kulang [sa lipunan]. Ang hindi po tayo pumapayag ay iyong they would use armed struggle to forward their means," the military offical said.

(It is not wrong to fight against social injustices, poverty, and lack of government services. What we don't allow is the use of armed struggle to forward their means.) —KBK, GMA News