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BUTUAN: Over the past two years, police units under the Police Regional Office in the Caraga Region (PRO-13) have arrested 280 leaders and members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA).
PRO-13 Director Brig. Gen. Alan Nazarro said intensified operations against communist from June 2022 to June 2024 under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. also resulted in the surrender of 926 NPA leaders and members.
During the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum here on Tuesday, Nazarro recognized the support of communities, local government units (LGUs) and other stakeholders in helping PRO-13’s fight to end communist insurgency.
Col. Michael Libanan, PRO-13 Deputy Director for Administration, said collaboration with the Armed Forces of the Philippines are also in place, especially in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs).
‘Our focus is to deploy police personnel in GIDA areas considered free from insurgency to sustain the efforts and the achievements in the fight against insurgen
cy,’ Libanan said.
As of June, he noted that only one NPA guerrilla front (GF) remains in the region, operating in Agusan del Sur and parts of Surigao del Sur.
‘This NPA GF 30 is now weak and the subject of dismantling by the government forces with the support of the communities,’ Libanan said.
Ensuring peaceful elections
Meanwhile, PRO-13 said it has partnered with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to ensure peaceful and credible midterm polls next year.
‘As early as the first quarter of 2024, we were already consolidating election concerns, including the assessments of different areas in the region, to help us plan for our deployments in the coming elections,’ Col. James Goforth, PRO-13 regional staff chief, said.
PRO-13, along with the provincial police directors and the Comelec, is holding regular planning conferences to prepare for next year’s midterm elections, Goforth added.
Other accomplishments
Nazarro also presented the other accomplishments of PRO-13 from 2022 to the first semester of 2
024.
On illegal drugs, he said 9,985 grams of shabu and 825 grams of marijuana, all valued over PHP92 million, were seized, while 1,768 suspects were arrested.
At least 1,121 of the most wanted persons were nabbed and 6,277 others were apprehended.
Similarly, 4,389 loose firearms were seized from 318 arrested suspects in intensified drives against loose firearms in the region. At the same time, 2,509 were apprehended in anti-illegal gambling drives and PHP1.25 million bet money were seized.
On its mandate to protect the environment, PRO-13 arrested 406 violators and confiscated PHP25 million worth of forest products in coordination with the Department of Environment and National Resources.
PRO-13 likewise arrested 4,458 found involved in illegal fishing and confiscated PHP122 million worth of marine products and paraphernalia.
Source: Philippines News Agency
