AFP: Only a fraction of CPP-NPA guerilla fronts will remain by end of 2023

The Armed Forces of the Philippines is eyeing to totally dissolve five out of 20 weakened guerilla fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines by the end of 2023. 

"So, right now, we have a 20 weakened guerilla fronts. Wala na po tayong (We don't have) active guerilla fronts. And by the end of this year, we are expecting five of these 20 to be finally dissolved. So, magiging 15 weakened guerilla na lang po ang matitira (only 15 will be left)," AFP chief Romeo Brawner Jr. said in press conference on Tuesday afternoon. 

Meanwhile, Brawner said the AFP welcomes the government's recent agreement with the CPP-NPA-NDP to push for a "principled and peaceful resolution to the armed conflict."

"Well, for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, this is very good news for us 'no, because it is the soldier more than anybody else who wants lasting peace. Who wants this conflict to finally end," he said. 

Brawner emphasized that the military's battle against insurgents has been taken personally by them. 

"Kasi nga po para sa amin parang naging personal na itong laban na ito, maraming sa aming kasamahan ang namatay dahil dito sa insurgency na ito. marami sa aming kamag-anak, pinsan ko mismo namatay sa kamay ng New People's Army," he said. 

"So, this is really a personal victory for us, and aside from that, if this conflict will finally end your Armed Forces of the Philippines will be able to shift our focus to external or territorial defense," he added. 

As of now, Brawner said the military's resources and efforts will be poured into defending the country's territory. 

"Pero habang wala pa po (pending the) final agreement, your Armed Forces will continue our operation against the New People's Army," he stressed. 

Philippine National Police chief, Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said the Philippines-CPP-NPA-NDF's agreement is also a "very welcome" development to the police organization. 

"I hope this will lead really to a  long and lasting peace and I look at it as a way of adding more food to the table sa mga Filipino and instead of spending more money above, ammunition and other armaments," Acorda said. 

Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said the agreement would actually best be paralleled to the recent approval of amnesty to former rebels in the country. 

"On the lens of National Security, our objective actually is to eliminate the threats to National Security, one of which is threats from CPP-NPA for more than five decades, andyan ang CPP-NPA. And I think, it's about time to have closure, closure that is acceptable to everybody, to the Filipino people. Particularly, ending the Arms struggle so with this I think, this is a very very good opportunity to be able to give—but amnesty is actually in tandem with is particular agreement," he said. 

Año said the security sector is pushing for a final agreement that would finally put an end to decades of communist insurgency in the country so that the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict could effectively provide services and development projects to the countryside—which have been left behind due to armed conflict.