Borongan City, Eastern Samar – The Philippine Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade, based in Borongan City, Eastern Samar, remains committed to its localized peace engagement (LPE) strategies to address insurgency, despite ongoing national negotiations with the National Democratic Front (NDF). This commitment to LPE is maintained even as efforts to revive national-level peace talks progress.

According to Philippines News Agency, the LPE has proven effective in encouraging rebels to lay down arms. “Our localized peace efforts, though having distinct objectives from national peace talks, will persist,” Vestuir said in a phone interview on Wednesday. Since relocating from Leyte to Eastern Samar in June 2023, the Brigade has seen 25 New People’s Army (NPA) members, 19 Militia ng Bayan members, and 61 members of underground mass organizations surrender in Eastern Samar and neighboring provinces.

These individuals have surrendered or disclosed the locations of 33 assorted firearms and 12 banned anti-personnel mines. A key initiative under the Brigade’s LPE is the Friends Rescued Engagement through their Families (FReE Families) project, which is part of the Eastern Samar provincial task force’s efforts to end local communist armed conflict. This project empowers family members of active NPA members and supporters to negotiate their peaceful surrender, with backing from third-party peace advocates, former rebels, local government units, NGOs, religious sectors, and other influential groups.

Vestuir highlighted the significant impact of LPE in reducing the NPA’s strength in southern Samar Island. Earlier this year, two active NPA platoons in the region were reduced from six squads to four as a result of these efforts. Last month, the Philippine government and the NDF, of which the NPA is the armed wing, reached an agreement on a “principled and peaceful resolution of the armed conflict” through the Oslo Joint Communique.