By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

After the Negros Occidental provincial government previously talked up the creation of the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC), the Provincial Peace and Order Council and Provincial Development Council formally voted to approve the creation of the group.
During an earlier planning workshop at the Negros First Residences function room. Philippine Army 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, Brigadier General Benedict Arevalo, said, “This kind of task force is to acknowledge the fact that the solution to end the insurgency problem is not in the hands of the security forces alone.”
“It is important that local government units and national agencies are able to deliver services, especially to the far-flung barangays that are usually victimized by the deception and manipulation of the NPA (New People’s Army),” he added.
During yesterday’s joint meeting of the provincial councils, the military official said they will schedule a formal launch and plan another workshop on the delivery of government services, particularly to NPA-affected areas of the province.
“It is a very challenging task, but we will try to, at least, make an effort,” Arevalo added.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who earlier expressed his optimism for the creation of the task force, calling it “an opportunity for us to work together as part of the government and whole-of-nation approach to address the NPA,” said he also supports localized peace talks with insurgents.
The governor added, “Negros Occidental is one of the top provinces which has the most number of local government units influenced by the rebel movement.”/DGB, WDJ