AIR SHOW President Marcos witnesses aerial maneuvers performed by Philippine Air Force (PAF) personnel during a capability demonstration at Crow Valley Gunnery Range (Col. Ernesto Ravina Air Base) in Capas, Tarlac. With the President are National Security Adviser Eduardo Año (left) and Lt. Gen. Stephen Parreño, PAF commanding general. (File photo dated July 3, 2023 taken by NIÑO JESUS ORBETA)
MANILA, Philippines — “Matatapos natin itong local armed Communist conflict. And from there, puro developments ang ating itataguyod and sisiguradihin natin yung delivery of services.”
(We will finish this local armed Communist conflict. And from there, we will support just the developments and we will be certain about the delivery of services.)
“What we can see in the term of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., finally matutuldukan.”
(What we can see in the term of President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr., finally it will be ended.)
National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año made these statements in a briefing in Malacañang, as he talked about the rebellion of the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army.
Año admitted insurgency cannot be totally eliminated, but he believes the issue may be brought down to a negligible point.
“While we may not be able to attain this zero insurgents, but at least reduced to an irrelevant number that will not cause concern for peace and order,” he said.
“They will become isolated and just become bandits, because of lost ideology and non-support from the people,” he projected.
The national security adviser said once the rebellion has been wiped out, the military can already focus on security conflicts with other countries.
“Right now, we have so many geopolitical issues and challenges to face,” he observed.
“We need the Armed Forces to now focus their eyes on external threats,” he said.
Año thinks AFP should be concentrating on the defense of Philippine territories, amid China’s aggressive stance in West Philippine Sea.
He said one way to combat insurgency is for government to provide services that will raise the quality of life of people in rural areas.
Prior to the briefing, Año and other government officials had met with the President during the 2nd National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict executive committee meeting in Malacañang.
Marcos had instructed the officials to continue efforts to end insurgency.
“It is in the law to specify priorities that will include those rebel returnees who have chosen to surrender and have decided to return to the fold of the law. These are all good efforts that we have to continue, (and) as I said, let us not sit on our laurels,” Marcos said in the meeting, in a mix of English and Filipino.
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