PANGASINAN – National Security Adviser (NSA) and Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security in Ilocos Region (CORDS-1) Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said that the Ilocos region is now free of armed insurgents.

Esperon said that the only existing guerilla front of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-New People’s Army (NPA)-National Democratic Front (NDF) in the Ilocos region, the Komiteng Larangang Gerilya-South Ilocos Sur or the KLG-SIS, has been dismantled.
He said Region 1 has been freed of armed insurgents due to the collaborative efforts of the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police, elected leaders, national government agencies (NGAs), civil society organizations, and Ilocanos.
“Let’s all continue working and supporting each other under our whole-of-nation approach,” Esperon added.
Last year, Esperon said a series of armed encounters took place in Ilocos Sur which resulted into the neutralization of top NPA personalities.
This was complemented by the withdrawal of support to the CPP-NPA-NDF of prominent white area personalities in the Ilocos region and Underground Mass Organizations (UGMO) members through the combined AFP-PNP community support program teams.
“The recovery of CTG firearms through encounters and surrenders further crippled the CTG organization in Region I, particularly in Ilocos Sur,” he added.
“By dismantling the KLG-SIS, we expect that we can now focus more on development. We expect that we can now focus more on the ‘white areas’ – more urbanized areas, because there are still remnants of their front organizations.”