Agusan Sur Town Declared Free from NPA Influence

The municipality of Loreto in Agusan del Sur has been declared stable, marking the end of decades of New People’s Army (NPA) influence, military and local officials said. The declaration was led on Friday by Mayor Alvin A. Otaza and Army 10th Infantry Division Commander Major General Alvin V. Luzon following the surrender of 349 NPA members from Loreto and nearby areas over the past six years through backchannel negotiations involving local officials, the military and police. Authorities said more than 20 NPA fighters were also killed in separate military operations during the period. “This municipality, now under stable internal peace and security, is not the end of our peacekeeping mission,” Mr. Luzon said, adding that local officials, police and the military must work together to preserve the town’s “peace dividend.” The ceremony concluded with the unveiling of a marker at the municipal government center. — John Felix M. Unson