PNP Chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar (center) receives a warm welcome from
NOLCOM Chief, Lt. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo B. Burgos Jr, left, in Tarlac Tuesday.
Eleazar: Strong AFP, PNP partnership to defeat rebs
NOLCOM, Tarlac City – AFP and PNP Commanders in Northern and Central Luzon converged on Tuesday, July 6, at the Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) headquarters for the Area Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Committee (JPSCC) Meeting which was graced by PNP Chief, Police General Guillermo Lorenzo T Eleazar.
An operational review on the intensified joint security operations of the AFP and PNP was facilitated by NOLCOM Chief, Lieutenant General Arnulfo Marcelo B. Burgos Jr and the Director of Police Area Command – Northern Luzon (formerly DIPO – Northern Luzon), Police Lieutenant General Marni C Marcos Jr.
During the event, the military and police underscored the massive gains of the AFP -PNP joint operations in terms of addressing communist insurgency and terrorism in Northern and Central Luzon following the implementation of Joint Campaign Plan “NATALNA”, the focal point of Police Area Command – Northern Luzon and NOLCOM’s joint security operations.
It was revealed that since the implementation of Joint Campaign Plan “NATALNA” last December, a total of 26 communist rebels have been neutralized through joint security and law enforcement operations while 1,729 communist terrorists returned to government fold and yielded a total of 300 firearms. These are apart from the 1,734 party members of the different NPA-affiliated mass organizations who withdrew their support to the terrorist group.
The event was highlighted with the awarding of Military Merit Medals to two Police Officers and 25 Police Non-commissioned Officers of the PNP Special Action Force, and Silver Cross Medals to 4 Army Officers and 7 Enlisted Personnel of the 7th Infantry Division for their heroic feats during the conduct of joint focused military operation and law enforcement operation on June 26, 2021, at Dinalupian Bataan wherein they encountered more or less 20 communist terrorists.
P/Lt Gen. Marcos expressed that the “harmonious working relationship of the AFP-PNP have spurred on the successive blows that the communist terrorists are experiencing as they are now pushed to the brink of despair.”
Lt Gen. Burgos emphasized that “the formidable bond forged between the AFP and the PNP in Northern and Central Luzon has further enhanced the government security forces’ ability to totally defeat the communist terrorists.”
He added that “with an average of 2 to 3 communist rebels surrender with one firearm everyday , the defeat of the communist terrorist in this part of the country is at hand and inevitable.”
PNP Chief, P/Gen Eleazar commended NOLCOM and Police Area Command – Northern Luzon for the iron-clad partnership and strong collaboration. He emphasized that, “the AFP and the PNP have been working hand in hand in maintaining peace and order in all parts of the country. We climbed mountains and crossed rough seas, we shed blood and made ultimate sacrifices together in the battle against criminal elements, insurgents and terrorists.”
“With all the joint operations and joint activities, dito natin nakikita ang talagang pinagsasamahan natin and we have to sustain this, kasi hindi puwede tayong magkahiwalay”, he added.
P/Gen Eleazar ended saying that, “Napakarami ng pagsubok ang pinagdaanan ng ating samahan, but this will not break our bond and in fact this will only make our tie stronger than ever”.
