CALAMBA CITY (PIA) — Citing the law that created the Philippine National Police (PNP) as a civilian agency, cops in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) region have found a better way to address local insurgency—going deep into communities and offering government programs for rebel returnees.
During the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas, Calabarzon PNP regional chief Brig. Gen. Kenneth Lucas cited the need for fellow cops to revisit the PNP mandate, embarking on its nature as a civilian agency.
As such, Lucas said that the PNP’s role should be primarily focused on establishing rapport with the communities alongside the Calabarzon Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) to maintain the region’s peace and order.
“With all the interventions undertaken by the Philippine National Police, in coordination with our counterparts like the Armed Forces of the Philippines, many have already surrendered through government programs like ELCAC,” Lucas said.
Regional Mobile Force Battalion acting chief Lt. Col. Norman Rañon highlighted the surrender of more than 60 members of rebel groups.
“Here in Calabarzon, we have cleared [areas] through the hard work of the AFP and the PNP,” Rañon was quoted as saying during the forum.
“Through our Regional Director [Lucas]’s leadership, we were able to convince families of people who went underground. We have programs supporting them [former rebels] like the Alternative Learning System by sending them to college with the support of other stakeholders.”
RTF ELCAC has been working with various stakeholders to relay government programs to rebel groups and sympathizers. (PB/PIA-4A)