A RANKING Army official said on Tuesday that the units under his command could finish the New People’s Army (NPA) in their areas before 2010 despite the earlier pronouncements of other leaders of the military that they may not be able to meet the deadline set by President Arroyo.

                Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) chief Maj. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang said his command is giving the guerrillas “no chance to recover” as they continue to suffer not only “remarkable” losses in terms of manpower but also in priority guerrilla fronts.

                “The will to fight of the enemy is fast deteriorating. They have lost mass base support. Many of their leaders and seasoned cadres were already neutralized. We will not give them the chance to get their act together,” he said in a statement.

                Earlier, Army commander Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano and Armed Forces deputy chief of staff for operations Maj. Gen. Jogy Leo Fojas said the military may not be able to meet Arroyo’s deadline of ending the insurgency problem by 2010 owing to problems including the Armed Forces’ operational focus in Mindanao.

                Maclang said his command has already cleared two NPA mass bases in the southeastern area of Pampanga. Four others in Nueva Ecija and Bulacan are also expected to be cleared before the end of this month.

                The Nolcom operates in the Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region and Central Luzon.

                Maclang said his command has carried out a total of 57 tactical engagements and 306 nontactical operations this year.

                “More than 200 NPA cadres and supporters voluntarily surrendered to our operating units, seven others were captured, 24 enemy bases-camps were discovered and 47 firearms of various calibers were recovered as a result of the government’s nontactical initiatives,” he said.

                “In actual engagements, the rebels suffered 20 killed, 29 captured and 103 surrendered,” he added.

                Among those neutralized include NPA leaders Emeterio Antalan alias Jigs and Elgy, alleged secretary of the Nueva Ecija Provincial Committee; Edgardo Friginal alias Reynold and Archie, alleged head of the Nueva Ecija Provincial Operational Command-Sentro de Gravidad; and  Ceriflor de la Cruz alias Boy and Jao, alleged secretary of Section Committee 1, Southern Front under the Cagayan Valley Regional Committee.

                Maclang added that government forces seized 76 high-poweredfirearms, including one M-60 machine gun and 119 low-powered guns, from the communist guerrillas.

Army general vows to rid NL of communist rebels by 2010

A RANKING Army official said on Tuesday that the units under his command could finish the New People’s Army (NPA) in their areas before 2010 despite the earlier pronouncements of other leaders of the military that they may not be able to meet the deadline set by President Arroyo.

ENVIRONMENT Secretary Lito Atienza was to meet Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Tuesday to discuss initiatives to ensure the sustainable management and conservation of the Coral Triangle, a rich marine area bordering Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands.

MILITANT groups are gearing up for nationwide protest actions against the recent surge in oil prices.

Members of the leftist labor federation Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) will lead the nationally coordinated protest actions.

THE Joint Congressional Power Commission (JCPC) is bent on unmasking the individuals who cooked up the National Power Corp.’s (Napocor) allegedly overpriced purchase of coal supply for Napocor plants when the bicameral oversight panel meets on Thursday, Sen. Miriam Santiago said.

SEN. Antonio Trillanes IV and his group admitted to courtroom misbehavior on Tuesday as they apologized to the judge for walking out of the hearing of the coup charges against them on November 29, prior to taking over the Peninsula Manila Hotel.

PRESIDENT Arroyo is perceived to be the most corrupt Chief Executive in the country’s recent history and her administration the hardest hit by allegations of  graft compared to others, the latest Pulse Asia survey showed.

ZAMBOANGA CITY—A powerful explosion rocked the province of Sulu, causing the destruction of Commission on Elections (Comelec) properties.

AT least five Cabinet members will be confirmed by the Commission on Appointments (CA) before Congress goes on a Christmas break next week, the head of the House of Representatives’ contingent to the commission announced on Tuesday.