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THE Armed Forces of the Philippines said it might be able to
complete the neutralization of 17 communist fronts by the end of
April, which is a month past the target imposed by the military last
year.
In an interview, Armed Forces Chief Gen.
Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said the targeted 17 guerrilla fronts are now
in the “advanced state of degradation” and the military is
currently assessing them.
“They [fronts] are in advance state of
degradation so we will assess if they are dismantled, hopefully by
the end of April,” Esperon said.
The military was supposed to neutralize the 17
during the first quarter of this year. For reasons which were not
cited by the military, it was not able to complete its objective.
But the Armed Forces maintained that the pacing of its campaign this
year is faster, and will achieve a higher target compared to the
same period last year.
In the first quarter of 2007 the military
neutralized 13 fronts.
“The momentum is faster so for the rest of the
year, meaning three quarters, we might dismantle more guerrilla
fronts. So we are on track, we are on target,” Esperon said in
earlier interviews.
Esperon will end his military tour of duty on
May 9, three months after the original date of his retirement which
was February 9. He will be succeeded by Army Chief Lt. Gen.
Alexander Yano.
Esperon is confident that the government will be
able defeat the New People’s Army (NPA) on 2010, the date set by
President Gloria Arroyo.
“We intend to defeat them [NPA] strategically
by 2010 and this is all in our blueprints in our current operational
directives. So, regardless of whoever leads the Armed Forces, the
work against the NPA will continue,” Esperon said.
He expressed confidence that the military is
capable and could accomplish the task given to them by the
President. The NPA presently has less than 6,000 fighters.
¨We are very confident that we could be equal
to the task. We are very confident that we will defeat them by
2010,” Esperon said.
-- Jefferson Antiporda
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