By Aaron Recuenco

At least 81 policemen from the Western Visayas regional police have been subjected to the Community Support Program (CSP) Training which is part of the government’s efforts to end communist insurgency problem in the provinces.

Brig. Gen. Rene Pamuspusan, Western Visayas regional police director, said the five-day training was essential for the police to know the measures they have to undertake to effectively support the national government to end armed conflict in far-flung areas of the region.

“This is one way of making the government closer to the people, particularly in those areas where government services seldom reach or even cannot be felt by our people,” said Pamuspusan.

The 81 policemen are non-commissioned officers assigned at the Regional Mobile Force Battalion/Provincial Mobile Force Company. At least five military officers served as their instructors.

The 81 CSP-trained cops are expected to be deployed Panay Island, Negros Occidental and in Bacolod City.

Col. Marlon Tayaba, chief of the Regional Staff of the Western Visayas regional police, said the CSP is one of the products of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC).

“This is being undertaken to sustain the peace, ensure security and help maintain public order to foster the foundation for economic and human development of the individuals or communities who are considered to be at risk,” said Tayaba.

The training program started on October 14.

It was recalled that the government has been shifting to localized peace talks after attempts to strike a peace deal with the communist rebels bogged down anew under the Duterte administration.

Communist rebels have been waging five decades of armed struggle against the government.