CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Newly-installed Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) head Maj. Gen. Felicito Virgilio Trinidad Jr. has vowed involvement of the military in development projects in far-flung communities to earn the trust of rural folk and thus deprive “remnants” of the New People’s Army “any issue to exploit on.”
During the turnover rites at the Nolcom base in Fort Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija, Trindad also called on “various stakeholders” in the private sector to support military efforts “in pursuit of a just and lasting peace in Regions 1, 2, 3 and Cordillera.”
Trinidad assumed the Nolcom post last Monday. He was the overall ground commander during the 2013 defense of Zamboanga City against extremists from the Moro National Liberation Front. Trinidad replaced Lt. Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. who was promoted to Vice Chief of Staff of the AFP.
“Anchored on the whole of nation approach, we shall continue to collaborate with our stakeholders in the delivery of basic social services and other developmental programs and projects to the far-flung communities in order to improve the well-being of our kababayans thereby denying the remnants of the NPA of issues to exploit on,” Trinidad said in his acceptance speech.
While Nolcom has already declared all areas under it insurgency free, it has admitted that remnants of the NPA have persisted in some areas. He said that “through our partners, we will collectively build social pressure on what remains of the NPA in this area and the other armed groups for them to shun the culture of arms and violence and to instead embrace a culture of peace and development.”
A member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1982, Trinidad previously served as Commander of the Army 1st Infantry Division. Last January, Armed Forces of the Philippines declared the entire Northern Luzon as insurgency-free with Pampanga becoming the 22nd and final province where anti-insurgency operations were turned over by the military to the police.
Nolcom noted that it has been declaring as free from insurgency many provinces under it since 2009. These areas include La union and Nueva Viscaya in 2009; Apayao, Aurora, Quirino, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan and Kalinga in 2010; Ilocos Norte and Benguet in 2011; Zambales, Abra and Bataan in 2012; and Batanes, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Cagayan, Ifugao, Bulacan and Mt. Province in 2013.
