Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Jose Faustino Jr. (left) and Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. (right) (NOLCOM CIO)
TARLAC CITY — Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Jose Faustino Jr. lauded the Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) for competently addressing terrorism and insurgency problems in Regions 1,2,3 and Cordillera.
“On the average, three members of the New People’s Army (NPA) yield to NOLCOM every day and one firearm is being surrendered. I am confident that we will be able to declare most areas here insurgency-free by the end of this year,” Faustino said during his visit at the unified command’s headquarters in Camp Servillano S. Aquino, Tarlac City.
For 2021, NOLCOM’s internal security operations has so far resulted to the yielding of 575 rebels with 166 firearms.
Aside from that, there were 733 party members from the different NPA-affiliated mass organizations who withdrew their support from the Communist Terrorist Group.
There were also 20 rebels who were neutralized through armed encounters and joint law enforcement operations.
NOLCOM was also successful in partnering with other government agencies and private institutions to deliver goods and services to those in need.
These partnerships led to the construction and rehabilitation of classroom buildings and proper distribution of much-needed social welfare and healthcare services.
Faustino encouraged both the military and civilian personnel of NOLCOM to sustain their momentum in controlling the peace environment in the area.
“We would have to give and endure many sacrifices in our profession, but we are confident that the nobility of the profession of arms should continue to inspire us to carry on in our selfless service to this great nation and our fellow Filipinos,” he emphasized. –Carlo Lorenzo J. Datu/PIA-3
