BACOLOD CITY – Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. lauded local government officials of Negros Occidental led by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson for the province’s initiatives to address insurgency.

On Saturday, Teodoro met Lacson and other Negrense officials at the Provincial Capitol here ahead of his visit to the troops of the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) in Sagay City and the 15th IB in Cauayan town.

In a media interview, Teodoro said the provincial government has a “very good” reintegration program for communist rebels who return to the fold of the law.

“Ang aming puede gawin talaga masugpo ‘yung armado. Pero over and above that, ang ating mga sundalo tinatanggap ang mga returning rebels, katulong ng local government. Kaya nga nandito rin ako para i-commend ang provincial government and all officials of Negros Occidental for their firm stance because they are also invested in the process (What we can do is to crush the insurgency. But, over and above that, our soldiers, with the help of local governments, welcome rebel returnees. I am here to commend the provincial government and all officials of Negros Occidental for their firm stance because they are also invested in the process),” he added.

For several years now, the provincial government has been providing financial and other forms of assistance to former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) as counterpart support to the national government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program.

The initiative is part of the “Balik Salig” (bring back trust) program, with allocation sourced from the Provincial Peace and Order Fund.

Teodoro’s visit follows the Philippine Army’s operational accomplishments in Negros Occidental, where two separate encounters between government troops and NPA remnants – in Toboso on April 19 and in Cauayan on May 16 – resulted in the death of 24 rebel combatants.

Left-leaning groups had claimed the Toboso encounter, which left 19 NPA members dead, was a massacre.

Lacson, however, defended the Philippine Army, saying the pursuit of communist rebels launched by the 79th IB in northern Negros was a legitimate military operation and does not need an investigation.

In Cauayan, five NPA remnants were killed during the clash with troops of 15th IB.

“Probably, these efforts of the NPA are also to counteract the serious efforts of the local government to address those who return, and it is an alternative form of punishment to those who return,” Teodoro said.

The Defense chief thanked locals who provided information to government troops on the location of the NPA remnants in their communities.

“Sa mga taga Negros din nagpapasalamat kami kasi hindi mangyayari ito kung walang sumbong. Ibig sabihin natak-an na ang mga tawo diri sa opisyo sang NPA (We thank the people of Negros because this would not have happened without their tip-off. This means the people here are fed up with what the NPA has been doing),” he said. (PNA)