AFP: 242 communist rebels neutralized since January

A total of 242 communist rebels have been neutralized in the first quarter of the year, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Tuesday.

In a press briefing, AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said that out of the 242 neutralized from January 1 to March 13, 19 were killed, 206 surrendered, and 17 were apprehended.

A total of 159 firearms and 73 anti-personnel mines were confiscated and surrendered, Padilla said. A total of 37 encampments were also seized.

According to Padilla, only one weakened guerilla front is left.

“Since last year, we have been giving updates that there is already one weakened guerrilla front left. Pero ito hinihintay na lang natin ang proseso to be declared na zero weakened fronts,” Padilla said.

(Since last year, we have been giving updates that there is already one weakened guerrilla front left. But we are just waiting for the process to declare zero weakened fronts.)

“They are already experiencing a leadership vacuum. Wala na rin ho silang resources and maliliit na lang po itong mga nagaganap na operations,” she added.

(They are already experiencing a leadership vacuum. They also have no resources and the operations that are taking place are small.)

Once the guerilla fronts are cleared, Padilla said the AFP will shift the focus of its operations from internal security to territorial defense. — BAP, GMA Integrated News