PNP wants to be more active in ending insurgency

January 6, 2020

The officer-in-charge of the Philippine National Police ( PNP) on Monday said they are eyeing to be more active in ending insurgency.

In a press briefing, Police Lieutenant General Archie Francisco Gamboa admitted the PNP lacked contribution in resolving local insurgency.

“I think we need to emphasize, in support to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the active participation of the PNP in ending insurgency in the Philippines because we are a regular member of the national task force,” Gamboa said.

Gamboa said the PNP is willing to contribute more to the anti-insurgency  program despite not being part of their primary mandate. 

“We will give our mobile forces a job because honestly I said we lack contribution when it comes to that effort. So we will be actively participating and probably we will request from armed forces or even from the national task force a more active role in this ending the insurgency,” he added.

He said they want to “squarely” address the country’s problem on CPP-NPA-NDF ( Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Frony) legal fronts since they need to be educated when it comes to facing them in the suburbs.

“Our mobile forces participate but primarily, we admit, our troops need education on the enemy because it’s been a long time since we joined the campaign against CTG (communist terrorist groups) because we are only a support role for the AFP,” he said.

“( A) challenge is their legal fronts, so if there are organizations in the students (sector), the labor, in the industries, probably that will be squarely address by the PNP but we haven’t discuss the details of that yet,” Gamboa added.

As the unilateral ceasefire between the government and the communist rebels ends on January 7, the PNP said the declaration of Suspension of Offensive Police Operations (SOPO) has been implemented by all units despite early incidents of alleged NPA-initiated truce violations last December 23.

 “Our field units continue to maintain defensive vigilance posture against threats to internal security for the entire duration of the SOPO,” Gamboa said.  Ella Dionisio/DMS