Bacolod: Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. praised the local government officials of Negros Occidental, led by Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, for their initiatives in addressing insurgency in the region.

According to Philippines News Agency, Teodoro met with Lacson and other officials at the Provincial Capitol before visiting the troops of the 79th Infantry Battalion in Sagay City and the 15th Infantry Battalion in Cauayan town. During a media interview, Teodoro highlighted the province's reintegration program for communist rebels who choose to return to the fold of the law. He commended the provincial government for their steadfast commitment to this cause and acknowledged the support of local governments in welcoming rebel returnees.

The provincial government has long been providing financial and other assistance to former New People's Army (NPA) members as part of the national government's Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program. This initiative, known as the 'Balik Salig' program, is funded through the Provincial Peace and Order Fund.

Teodoro's visit coincided with recent operational successes by the Philippine Army in Negros Occidental. Two encounters between government troops and NPA remnants in Toboso on April 19 and in Cauayan on May 16 resulted in the death of 24 rebel combatants. While left-leaning groups claimed the Toboso encounter was a massacre, Lacson defended the legitimacy of the military operations, asserting that they required no investigation.

In Cauayan, five NPA remnants were killed in a clash with the 15IB troops. Teodoro suggested that the NPA's efforts might be a response to the local government's measures to address returning rebels, serving as an alternative form of punishment for those who return.

The defense chief expressed gratitude to the residents who provided information to the government troops about the NPA remnants' locations, indicating that the local population is increasingly disenchanted with the NPA's activities.