Transfer of counter-insurgency campaign to DILG

Education of the masses is the best weapon to counter the influence, intimidation, and spate of murders committed by the Maoist Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New Peoples Army, throughout the country.

This was bared by ANAD Partylist Representative Jun Alcover during the Usapang Balita Media Forum held at the Quezon Memorial Circle, in Quezon City, today even as he clarified that confronting the communist terrorism insurgency using guns and bullets will only exacerbate the problem.

He disclosed that the Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy (ANAD) believes that it is high time that the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) must take the lead role in the fight against communist terrorism.

Alcover explained that the DILG can effectively use the different local government units, down to the barangay level, as the so-called political front in the rural areas as a counter-measure against the Maoist communist sectoral front organizations under the National Democratic Front (NDF); while it can efficiently mobilize the Philippine National Police, as the armed component against the Maoist communist-terrorist NPA.

“The essential point here is to empower and mobilize the LGUs, particularly the barangays, to protect their respective areas from the NPA’s continued intimidation and harassments,” Alcover said.

Asked on the plans of ANAD as it is now one of the Partylist organizations in Congress, Alcover retorted saying, “We continue our crusade for the protection and preservation of our freedoms and democratic institution and bring this advocacy right inside the hallowed halls of Congress.”

Alcover cited the presence of Maoist communist pseudo-partylist organizations in Congress that has effectively manipulated some members to support their objectives, “We will expose and unmask their real self so that the Filipinos will know how the members of Bayan Muna, Gabriela, Anakpawis, and Kabataan has made use of their positions,”