Communist insurgent groups in Oriental and Occidental Mindoro are “significantly weakening” and could soon be dismantled, according to the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA).

NICA MIMAROPA Regional Director Pedro Gabayan told a government press forum that the two provinces might soon be declared insurgency-free.

“These groups are weakening and we are on the brink of dismantling them,” Gabayan said during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas event hosted by the Philippine Information Agency.

He said NICA has been collaborating with other government agencies to monitor recruitment attempts by what officials term “Communist-Terrorist Groups” (CTGs), through awareness campaigns aimed at preventing people from joining armed opposition to the government.

“We continue to work with various government agencies to monitor and address recruitment attempts by these groups,” Gabayan said in Filipino. “We are promoting campaigns to counter misinformation and manipulation by terrorist groups.”

Intelligence gathering on communist group activities remains a “top priority” for NICA, he added, to ensure operations against insurgency are “strategic and effective”.

Colonel Eric Guevarra, Deputy Commander of the Philippine Army’s 203rd Infantry Brigade, confirmed that government forces have gained control over areas previously held by insurgents in the province.

He said insurgent operations are concentrated in the southern parts of both Oriental and Occidental Mindoro.

“They want to disrupt Philippine Army programs and peace maintenance efforts on Mindoro island,” Colonel Guevarra said.

According to military officials, three left-wing groups remain active in the Mindoro islands: KLG-MAV, KLG-ICM, and Platoon GNT.

Both officials expressed optimism that continued military operations and coordinated intelligence efforts would eventually dismantle the remaining insurgent groups in the island.

The Philippines has been dealing with one of the world’s longest-running communist insurgencies, which began in 1969.