ARMY chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. yesterday reported what he said was the imminent dismantling of the remaining guerrilla fronts of the New People’s Army, which has been pursuing armed struggle for over 50 years now.
During the celebration of the Army’s 126th foundation anniversary at the Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Brawner said the Army remains “resolute” in its “dedication to secure the peace and protect our sovereignty.
“Our endeavors in the last year manifest the very same spirit of service as we work tirelessly to achieve organizational gains and operational milestones,” said Brawner.
“Most significant of these are in the intelligence-driven military operations against communist and local terrorist groups where we see the imminent complete dismantling of the remaining guerrilla fronts,” added Brawner.
As of last November, the military said the NPA strength is down to 24 guerilla fronts throughout the country, from 89 four years earlier.
The military said 19 of the 24 remaining guerrilla fronts are weakened and are on the verge of being dismantled, thus only five are “active.”
Military estimates placed the NPA strength at around 2,100 men with 1,800 firearms.
“Our successes are shared with our stakeholders, whose solid cooperation has magnified the impact of the whole of nation approach (in the campaign against communist insurgency),” said Brawner.
“This, in turn, has encouraged the voluntary surrender of former rebels and their eventual reintegration to mainstream society,” added Brawner.
Brawner said the Army has also been “untiring in bolstering our international defense and security engagements with allies and foreign counterparts.”
He noted the ongoing Salaknib exercise between Philippines and US troops in Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Tarlac. The exercise, which started last March 13 and will end on April 4, involves 3,000 troops from both sides.
Brawner also said the Army has been active in humanitarian assistance and disaster response, citing the recent deployment of Army troops to render assistance to Turkey, which was devastated by a powerful earthquake last month.
Brawner also reported that the Army embarked on an initiative of planting a million fruit-bearing trees in support of President Marcos Jr.’s food for all program.
“Another food security initiative is the ‘Hardin ng Lunas, a greenery program for all military camps all over the country, that transforms vacant areas in our camps into productive vegetable and herbal gardens,” added Brawner.
Brawner said the Army has also sustained its “momentum to transform,” noting they have come up with an 18-year strategic horizon plan with a singular objective which is to “become world-class, multi-mission ready, cross-domain capable by the year 2040.”
Brawner said Army soldiers are “united and resilient against all odds, anchored on enduring camaraderie and synergy.
“And we are reliable under any circumstance or challenge, with dynamic collaborations and partnerships founded on our soldiers’ sincerity and selfless service,” he said.
