MANILA — Active guerilla fronts in the country have supposedly gone down to 2, members of the country's anti-insurgency task force said on Wednesday, with officials planning to dismantle all rebel units this year.

Around 75 percent of New People's Army guerilla fronts have so far been dismantled, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said in a Palace briefing.

Año, a vice-chairman at the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), said only 22 of the original 89 guerilla fronts "are still existing."

• Centino return as AFP chief seen to beef up anti-insurgency campaign: analyst
• DND: Only 5 active NPA guerilla fronts nationwide

Of the 22 fronts left, he said 20 have been weakened.

"The remaining 2 are the subject of focused military operations and development efforts by the NTF-ELCAC agencies," he told reporters.

"We shall continue to reach out and offer them peace through our highly effective local peace engagements," the official added.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Andres Centino said the active guerilla fronts were in Northern Samar.

"We deployed forces... and added battalions of infantry units to Samar to help out our campaign there," Centino, the task force secretariat, said.

"Within the year, we will be able to address these remaining active fronts although mayroon pa rin tayong hinahabol na prente or what we call weakened. We have sufficient forces to address these threats," he added.

The AFP, he said, also added combat support units and capabilities to bring down the guerilla fronts.

"Sabay-sabay [i-dismantle]. Hindi naman lahat sa Samar 'yan eh. The other weakened fronts were in Bicol area. Mayroon din sa Caraga, mayroon sa Masbate, mayroon sa Negros and Panay. Mahina na ang mga ito," he said.

'BRINGERS OF PEACE'

What was significant in the meeting of the NTF-ELCAC executive committee meeting earlier in the day, Año said, was their shift as "bringers of peace."

"This is what the President desires for our people, that each and every Filipino can live a life of genuine and enduring peace for where there is peace and unity, economic development comes behind," he said.

For his part, Centino said dismantling communist-rebel forces would need the help of everyone in the community.

Marcos, Jr. in March told the military to be "peacemakers," as the government changes its strategy to combat communist rebels.

Marcos said the military's "additional mission" may be among the reasons why government has "slowly succeeded" in their whole-of-society approach when dealing with the armed movement.

Watch more News on iWantTFC

Video from RTVM