AFP declares Quirino prov insurgency-free

The province of Quirino has been added to the list of areas deemed insurgency-free by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

In a statement, the AFP Civil Relations Service said Quirino officials and representatives of the country’s security forces have signed a memorandum of agreement declaring the communist threat in the province already insignificant.

The agreement was signed by Quirino Gov. Dakila Carlo Cua, Army 502nd Infantry Brigade commanding officer Col. Arnulfo Marcos, and provincial police director Superintendent Delfin Millo.

With the insurgency-free declaration, the military will turn over internal security operations in Quirino to the local government and police.

AFP-CRS chief Brig. Gen. Francisco Cruz said developmental programs in the countryside helped address the problems posed by the insurgents.

A province is deemed insurgency-free if the communist movement there is already non-existent or too insignificant to affect the lives of its residents.

Communist rebels, the AFP said, dwindled to just 4,702 last year from a peak of 25,000 in 1987.
The government has set a June 30, 2010 deadline to end the communist insurgency. – Alexis Romero