Local officials in Hinunangan, Southern Leyte have pledged to sustain long-term security and development following the municipality’s official declaration as being under a state of Stable Internal Peace and Security.

Mayor Ymard Joseph T. Tocmo and the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry “Stormtroopers” Division signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday at the Municipal Function Hall to formalize the new status.

The declaration marks a significant shift for the town, which Tocmo said was previously hindered by frequent sightings of communist rebels that intimidated local residents. He specifically noted the 2019 killing of a government militia member by a rebel partisan unit in the town’s rural outskirts.

“In the past, the New People’s Army used this area as a corridor,” Tocmo said. “With the help of the Philippine Army, that threat is gone. Now, we can attract investors and the economy of Hinunangan will grow.”

During the ceremony, Tocmo made a public appeal to Paterno Opo, a local resident and member of a dismantled rebel squad, to surrender and stressed that government services are now reaching the communities Opo once operated in, leaving “no reason to continue armed struggle.”