Esperon to presidential bets: Sustain ‘localized peace talks’

National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. Esperon INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — Whoever gets elected as the country’s next president should get rid of the communist insurgency by sustaining “localized peace talks,” National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon said Thursday, Feb. 24.

Speaking at a press briefing in La Union province during the formal declaration of the Ilocos region under the “state of stable and internal peace and security,” Esperson said local governments know the real situation on the ground.

“Kung sasabihan sana ng mga ibang kandidato para sa presidente na magkakaroon ng peace talks sa ngayon ay hindi kami papayag doon kasi kailangan ay localized peace talks,” said Esperon.

Presidential candidates were urged to partner with local officials, such as governors, mayors, down to village leaders, in pursuing peace talks with communist rebels. “We will not be able to solve [insurgency] without partnering with them,” said Esperon.

La Union Gov. Emmanuel “Pacoy” Ortega III, Ilocos peace and order council chairperson, also backed the partnership, saying LGUs are the “engines of growth of the country, we are the frontliners in the delivery of services to the people.”

Presidential candidates have taken varying stands on whether the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) should be abolished, but the body said they were willing to work with them on solving the insurgency in the country.

Despite being criticized for being “predominantly militarist,” the “whole-of-nation” approach espoused under the administration of President Duterte is an effective solution to address the insurgency, according to Esperon.

Esperon, and other officials from the Ilocos regional development council, regional peace and order council, and regional task force-Elcac, signed Thursday a joint resolution, which formalized the clearance of the Ilocos region of “community terrorist groups” (CTG).

Esperon said there were no more armed groups of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its New People’s Army (NPA), and the National Democratic Front, the umbrella alliance of leftist underground groups, in the Ilocos region.

He said the Komiteng Larangan Guerilla-South Ilocos Sur, the only CTG in the region, had been dismantled.

Since 2018, at least 948 NPA rebels had surrendered in the region, according to the anti-insurgency body.

Lawmakers earlier slashed the budget of the controversial body, which had been criticized widely for its Red-tagging activities and a crackdown on activists, to P17 billion after it sought P24 billion for its 2022 funding.