Internal security tasked to local government units

By Dexter A. See

FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City – The national government’s internal security operations is slowly being transferred to capable local governments after the significant gains of the Armed Forces of the Philippines against the communist movement over the past four decades, AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said here Monday.

The successful anti-insurgency operations by the police and military since President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo vowed to crush the communist movement by the end of her term allowed the transfer of security operations to local government units, Brawner said.

He said the AFP will soon download its anti-insurgency operations to more than 20 provinces depending on the outcome of ongoing assessments so that the AFP could concentrate on crushing the Abu Sayyaf Group and other militias in Mindanao.

From an estimated strength of over 25,000 in the early 2000, Brawner said the AFP was able to reduce the number of New People’s Army rebels to less than 4,000. He said military operations were coupled with the provision of basic services to depressed communities, prompting many rebels to return to the mainstream.

Once peace is attained in former rebel strongholds nationwide, the AFP spokesman said economic development will start to flourish even in far-flung areas.

Under the agreement signed by provincial officials and representatives of the AFP and the Philippine National Police, local officials are mandated to pursue internal security operations by providing rebel-infested areas with appropriate infrastructure development coupled with the delivery of basic services to the people, especially in remote communities.