Army declares 2 Cotabato towns free of NPA presence

COTABATO CITY, Maguindanao, Philippines — The towns of Matalam and Mlang in Cotabato province have been cleared of communist rebels, according to 1st Lt. Michael Allan Eugenio, the civil-military relations officer of the Army’s 90th Infantry Battalion.

The municipal councils of the two towns have also passed resolutions affirming the Army declaration, Eugenio said.

‘The declaration came after our consistent military operations and efforts in reaching out to the former rebel-influenced communities, sectors, and organizations through the Community Support Program (CSP),” he said.

Eugenio said government troops had neutralized the two units of the New People’s Army — Guerilla Front 53 in Matalam and Guerilla Front 72 Mt. Alip Command, which operated at the borders of Mlang with South Cotabato province and parts of Davao del Sur.

Eugenio added that, through the CSP, security forces discovered and dismantled three underground mass organizations run by the Kilusang Rebolusyonaryo sa Barangay (KRB).

He said 41 NPA personalities also surfaced, including 35 members of the KRB and the Sangay ng Partido sa Lokalidad, among others.

The 90^th Infantry Battalion, he said, would continue with activities to wrest other towns in its area of jurisdiction away from communist influence.

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