Former National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos places the blame on local government units (LGUs) for the continued survival of the communist insurgency.
Carlos said on Monday, June 12, that the inaction or slow action of civilian agencies cause communities to once again fall into the sway of the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army (CPP-NPA).
"Kahit ma-clear yung barangay tapos yung kabilang barangay ay hindi pa cleared, maghahawaan iyan kapag hindi nag-move ang civilian government," Carlos said during an interview with Radyo Natin.
"Kaya ang dali mo siyang mahugot sa side mo, to get them back to the fold of government by asking the civilian agencies to move, to act. Minsan simpleng-simple ang hinihingi, tubig, electricity," she stressed.
Carlos expects that Vice President Sara Duterte, a former mayor of Davao City, will focus on resolving the problem with LGUs as co-vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
The political science expert, meanwhile, praised the military for their efforts to neutralize the threat posed by the CPP-NPA to the Philippines.
"Saludo ako sa mga military natin. Ang dami nilang katakot-takot na baranagay na na-clear nila tapos hindi gumagalaw yung civilian government," Carlos said.
"Yung dapat talaga ang tutukan, yung civilian agencies, kasi kawawa yung military. Namamatay sila clearing barangays tapos yung mga civilian agency are mga pinsan ng pagong," she added.
