The Armed Forces of the Philippines Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) and National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Saturday urged the remaining members of local armed groups to surrender following the clash in Nueva Ecija on Wednesday.
In a separate statement, Nolcom has called on the remaining members of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) to surrender peacefully and return to mainstream society, since the government is always ready to accept and help them.
“This plea follows a significant operation on June 26, where Nolcom troops successfully neutralized several members of the Komiteng Rehiyong Gitnang Luzon (KRGL) of the CTG in an armed encounter,” Nolcom Public Information Office Chief Lieutenant Colonel Rodrigo Lutao said.
NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. similarly encouraged the remaining members of the group and other members of CTG to surrender, abandon the armed struggle and avail the Amnesty Program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“We wish to convey our condolences to the families of those terrorists who perished in the Pantabangan clash. Nakikiusap din kami sa mga natitira pang NPA na sumuko na para maiwasan ang mga ganitong pagdanak ng dugo,” Torres said.
“We appeal to all the NPA remnants to avail the amnesty program of the President. There are mechanisms already in place anytime these terrorists want to return to mainstream society, rebuild their lives and their families, and live in peace. We’ve the Local Peace Engagement (LPE) and the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP).”
The 84th Infantry (Victorious) Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, engaged the terrorists in Brgy. Malbang, Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija and among those neutralized were key CTG leaders.
During the encounter, soldiers recovered numerous high-powered and low-powered firearms, subversive documents, and personal belongings from the site.
On June 27, troops discovered additional cadavers and more firearms a few meters away from the encounter site, likely abandoned by their comrades during their retreat.
The identities of some of the female casualties have been confirmed, while others are yet to be identified.
Nolcom vowed to continue its efforts in dismantling NPA terrorist networks, maintaining pressure to keep these groups on the run and preventing any resurgence of hostile activities that threaten the peace and stability of Nueva Ecija and surrounding regions.
According to the Task Force, since 2018, the 89 active NPA guerilla fronts in the country were either weakened or eliminated, with the latest military report showing that only 11 weakend guerilla fronts remained and these are targeted for elimination within this year.