AFP eyes eradicating local insurgency within 2024

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday said it is targeting to eradicate the communist insurgency in the country within this year.

AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla made the statement following a command conference of the military organization recently.

“So we were given specific deadline to do such. As I said a while ago, hindi tayo mag-mamicromanage (we won't micromanage). So within the span of the year po, we're looking at eliminating the threat, internal insurgency situation,” Padilla said at a news conference.

On January 15, AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said the number of weakened guerilla fronts of the New People's Army (NPA) has decreased to 11 with around 1,500 members left.

"We have given our commanders on the ground targets to dismantle the remaining guerilla fronts," Brawner said last week.

He added that while there are no more active NPA guerilla fronts, the weakened groups are still a force to be reckoned with.

In November 2023, the Marcos administration and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) agreed to resume the stalled peace negotiations.

Representatives from both camps signed a joint statement for "a principled and peaceful resolution to the armed conflict."

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro later clarified that what was agreed upon was for "exploratory talks" and not formal peace negotiations yet.

The Philippines has been battling the communist insurgency for over five decades. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News