No need to beef up CL troops to fight NPAs — 7th ID chief

MALOLOS CITY — A ranking Army official said there is no need to beef up military forces in Central Luzon, explaining that the counter-insurgency campaign this year will be easier than in the past.

"Guerrilla fronts in the region have been reduced due to our continuing campaign," said Maj. Gen. Juanito Gomez, commanding officer of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division, told The STAR in a phone interview.

He said there used to be 11 New People’s Army (NPA) fronts in Central Luzon, but they have been reduced to nine.

However, he did not specify the rebels’ strength nor where their fronts operate in the six provinces of Central Luzon — Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Pampanga, Bataan, and Tarlac.

"Our people are now well prepared and motivated in the campaign," said Gomez, who succeeded Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan who retired last Sept. 11.

He said the people of Central Luzon now have a better understanding of what the Armed Forces is fighting for and who its enemy is because of the continuing information campaign through regular dialogues with local leaders and residents.

Gomez said there is no need to increase the number of soldiers in the region. "We have enough forces and we are also working together with (local) officials, "he said.

Last year, the military kicked off three-day intensive seminars on the evils of communism in the different barangays in Bulacan and elsewhere in Central Luzon.

Col. Gerard Velez, of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Battalion based in the coastal areas or western part of Bulacan and Pampanga, earlier said that through these seminars, they were able to counter the disinformation campaign waged by the communist rebels and their allied organizations.

The seminars also led to the establishment of barangay defense systems in the region and eventually to the creation of the first Integrated Territorial Defense System (ITDS) in San Ildefonso and San Miguel towns in Bulacan.

Col. Noel Clement, of the 56th Infantry Battalion based in eastern Bulacan, said towns with active ITDS groups are basically cleared of communist influence.

He said the ITDS is not only to counter insurgency but also to better equip communities to address petty crimes and respond to emergencies, such as disasters.

Bulacan officials affirmed this. San Ildefonso Mayor Edgardo Galvez, Superintendent Rommel Salac, San Miguel town police chief, and barangay officials of Calumpit town said petty crimes in their localities have indeed dropped.

Meanwhile, Gomez advised local politicians who will run in the May elections to coordinate with law enforcement authorities to stop the NPA’s collection of permit-to-campaign (PTC) fees.

Gomez said politicians must not give in to the rebels’ intimidation in the coming elections.

"They must immediately coordinate with local military or police units in case they are being pressured by communist groups to pay (PTC) fees," he said.