The Visayas Command (Viscom) said yesterday that 569 community development projects in the central Philippines’ 16 provinces immensely contributed to the impending complete downfall of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).

Lt. General Benedict Arevalo, Viscom chief, said the projects hatched through the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’s (NTF-ELCAC) Barangay Development Program (BDP) aided the military to further neutralize communist leaders, most of whom surrendered to the authorities.

“We have sustained our gains and prevented the CPP-NPA from regaining their foothold in the region. We will continue our relentless focused military operations to further push the terrorist group to their imminent collapse,” he said on the sidelines of a command conference at the Viscom headquarters on Monday, October 9.

Arevalo said 263 of the BDP in the Visayas were programmed in 2021, while 306 were in 2022.

He disclosed that cases filed against NPA fighters include recruitment, killings, use and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines, destruction of civilian properties, and use of children in armed conflict.

“The CPP-NPA’s reign of terror in the region is nearing its end. Their leaders continue to fall and their members continue to return to the fold of the law,” he said. (PNA)