Tarlac Province, from Insurgency hotbed, declares free from Communist insurgency

Camp Servillano Aquino, San Miguel Tarlac, 23 June 2023 – The Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) of the province of Tarlac declared Friday, June 23, 2023, the province to as in a state of Stable Internal Peace and Security pursuant to PPOC Resolution No. 02 series of 2023, as the province was categorized as cleared and unaffected by the communist insurgency and is relatively peaceful.

The declaration was significant and symbolic as Tarlac was once a historic hotbed of insurgency, being the birthplace of the New People’s Army (NPA) in 1969 and the first in Region 3 to be declared as in a state of Stable Internal Peace and Security.

The resolution noted that the capabilities of the Communist Terrorist Group operating within Tarlac province, particularly the Komiteng Larangang Gerilya-Tarlac-Zambales (TARZAM) that was officially declared weakened in 2022 have been significantly reduced. This can be attributed to the combined efforts of the Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF ELCAC), member agencies of the PPOC, and the provincial government of Tarlac.

Governor Susan A. Yap emphasized the importance of peace in achieving regional progress in her message.

“Tarlac has been fighting for peace because, without peace, development, and progress will not come”, the governor said.

She went on to say that peace could only be achieved through open communication with the people and by finding solutions to their problems. She also praised the collaborative efforts of the various government agencies involved in finally declaring the province peaceful, as this will attract more investors and provide more opportunities for the people of Tarlac.

NOLCOM, AFP will continue to do its best to contribute to the maintenance of stable internal peace and security in the province of Tarlac in support of the law enforcement operations, as well as in other provinces within its area of operations that met the criteria for declaring CTG-affected areas to be also declared free of insurgency in order to achieve the people’s desire for sustainable peace and development. ### (PR)