N. Ecija declared free of commies

PALAYAN CITY, Nueva Ecija– Military and police officials declared Nueva Ecija insurgency-free and turned over to the provincial government the internal security operations following the communist movement’s loss of mass base support in the province.

Nueva Ecija is the third province in Central Luzon to be declared insurgency-free, following Aurora and Tarlac earlier this year.

The declaration was formalized when Maj. Gen. Irineo Espino, commanding general of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division based at Fort Magsaysay, handed over the internal security operations to Gov. Aurelio Umali, chairman of the provincial peace and order council, last Monday.