Calamba City recommits to local peace engagements with AFP, PNP

CALAMBA CITY, Laguna – Mayor Roseller H. Rizal pledged continued collaboration with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) to sustain Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) through local peace engagements.

“We commit to provide support for the operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police; enhance law enforcement; and prevent the resurgence of Communist New People’s Army Terrorists,” Rizal said during the joint quarterly meeting of the City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) and City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) on Tuesday afternoon (May 12) at the Jose Rizal Coliseum here.

As CPOC and CADAC chairperson, Rizal also vowed to develop communities, counter Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) influence in political and social sectors, activate a tripartite committee for labor peace, conduct awareness sessions to prevent youth recruitment by terrorist groups, and facilitate local peace agreements with former rebels.

“We will continue to guide our local leaders in terms of security and development, strengthen the Integrated Territorial Defense System, and monitor the criminality and security landscape in the city,” he added in the presence of barangay chairpersons who attended as guests.

Brig. Gen. John C. Jadloc, 202nd Infantry Brigade commander, reaffirmed SIPS in a message read by Task Force Ugnay commander and 202nd Infantry Brigade deputy commander Col. Alexander Arbolado.

“This reaffirmation is a bold declaration that the people of Calamba City firmly repudiate violence, terrorism, and the insidious influence of the Communist Terrorist Groups. It demonstrates our community’s steadfast commitment to the pursuit of progress and development through peaceful and lawful means,” Jadloc said.

Under the Revised Joint Implementing Rules and Regulations of Executive Order No. 546, the PNP supports AFP combat operations against insurgency and other threats to national security. Local chief executives, through peace and order councils, may deputize barangay tanods as force multipliers to implement area-specific peace plans.