Batangas has officially been cleared of communist insurgents, becoming only the third province to achieve such feat in Calabarzon (Region 4A), the military announced Wednesday.
Maj. Gen. Greg Almerol, commander of 2nd Infantry Division (2ID), signed a memorandum of agreement with Gov. Hermilando Mandanas to declare Batangas as an area with "Stable Internal Peace and Security" or SIPS. The 2ID has military jurisdiction over Batangas.
Almerol said Batangas "successfully met" the parameters set under the Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) phases of normalization, specifically the absence of recorded New People's Army (NPA) violent activities for at least one year.
The division commander thanked local government officials for working with the military to rid the province of NPA rebels.
Meanwhile, Gov. Mandana emphasized that the development of Batangas will "always rely on the attainment of peace as a result of the national and local government’s concerted effort."
The ceremony, held at the provincial capitol, was also highlighted by the presentation of surrendered firearms and distribution of food packs to seven former rebels.
The rebel-returnees were earlier granted with a monetary support amounting to P455,000 under the government's Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program or E-CLIP so they can be reintegrated back into the society and lead normal lives.
Since being founded in 1969, the NPA has operated over 100 guerilla fronts all over the country.
But the military's intense offensives led to the dismantling of majority of these guerilla fronts, particularly in Southern Tagalog.
So far, Batangas joined the provinces of Cavite and Laguna as areas with SIPS. Cavite achieved the feat on Dec. 4, 2018 while Laguna was declared insurgency-free on September 26, 2019.
Two more provinces under the jurisdiction of the 2ID were also considered as areas with SIPS namely Romblon and Marinduque in Mimaropa (Region 4B), which were both cleared of insurgents in 2019.