Top officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) have convened on Friday, April 16, to update and craft strategies to eliminate communist insurgency and local terrorism problems in the country.
AFP chief of staff Gen. Cirilito Sobejana and PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas led military and police officials who joined the National Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center (JPSCC) meeting held at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
Sobejana said that the intensified joint operations of the AFP and PNP resulted in the increase in the number of communists and terrorists who were killed, surrendered, or arrested which "demonstrates that we have certainly gained substantial grounds in our efforts."
The military has yet to provide data on the number of neutralized terrorists or communists to back up the claims of Sobejana.
Meanwhile, Sinas said the JPSCC meeting is "very useful" in strengthening the military and police's interoperability to fortify the country's internal security.
"Through this fruitful undertaking we are ready to look forward with optimism as we assure the Filipino people that the PNP and AFP are now better prepared, more equipped, and more confident to address the challenges ahead of us," said he stressed.
Captain Jonathan Zata, AFP public affairs office chief, said that the JPSCC "Joint Cells" on operations, intelligence, legal, training and Civil-Military Operations/Police Community Relations discussed "substantial accomplishments" in their respective areas of concern during the meeting.
He also did not provide details on the said accomplishments.
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. joined the meeting via virtual teleconferencing as the keynote speaker.
He congratulated the coordinated efforts of the PNP and the AFP for the "increased operational tempo" against the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army - National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDFP), and local terrorist groups in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Sobejana and Sinas also signed joint resolutions to fortify both forces' efforts on internal peace and security.
Further, the two leaders affirmed the dismantling of two so-called guerrilla fronts of the NPA in Palawan and Bicol Region.
"We are very confident that with the signing of the AFP-PNP Joint Resolutions, this ever-growing partnership will continue to contribute to the peace and development in the countryside," Sobejana said.
Zata said that the JPSCC was created to serve as the hub for coordination and collaborative action between the AFP and PNP.
It seeks to enhance military and police cooperation to effectively address the country’s insurgency problem and other peace and security concerns, he added.