Davao City – The newly-installed commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) on Monday vowed to fight “battles on all fronts” to end the decades-long communist insurgency.
But Maj. Gen. Felimon Santos recognized that the military would face difficulty against the New People’s Army (NPA) if it did not have the support of the “all government agencies and stakeholders.”
In his speech after assuming Eastmincom post, Santos said the troops will engage community stakeholders to address poverty — “the root of the insurgency.”
He said the fight against NPA — the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) –requires a “whole of nation approach” and “good governance.”
As the new chief of the Eastmincom, Santos vowed to sustain the gains of the command and further improve community engagement.
Santos said brigade commanders have been instructed to deal with different government agencies focusing on poverty alleviation.
“We have to identify the problem and we give the solution. We have to complement (government) programs,” he said.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff, Gen. Benjamin Madrigal expects Santos to implement the “National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict”, which is seen to help the government in its ongoing anti-insurgency campaign.
Madrigal, in an interview at the sidelines of the turnover of command here, expressed optimism on Santos’ leadership.
Madrigal, who was the Eastmincom commander before he assumed as AFP chief, noted that Santos was able to practice the “whole of nation approach” in confronting the communist insurgency when the latter headed the Army’s 7th Infantry Division.