Former Defence secretary and Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential bet Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. is driving a two-sided strategy for Government to ultimately defeat the communist and Muslim autonomist rebellions that have been rocking the country for the so many years now.

According to Gibo in a radio interview, a “sustainable” campaign is essential to stop both rebellions, with such methods as beefing up the troops of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) on the extensive haul. 

Since AFP and PNP troop build up necessitate a considerable budgetary lay out and cannot be done immediately, Gibo stated that the government should keep on pursuing peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (NPA) in the pursuit for a true and permanent answer to these relentless insurgencies.

Gibo also stressed out that it would be better for Government to kick off separate peace talks with the particular leaders of rebel groups in the particular areas where they increase in view of the limited leadership structures of the rebels. 

Gibo also said that any peace agreement that the government could hit with the MILF or NPA groups would have to stick to provisions of the 1987 Constitution to keep away from the dilemma that last year caught up the government-MILF peace negotiations. 

 “Yung sustainable na pagsugpo dito.  Mahirap po pag hindi sustainable.  Magiging ningas-kugon po iyan eh.  Sustainable po iyan, batay sa ating kakayahan.  Alam naman po natin ang ating kakayahan, eh medyo mababa ang kakayahan ng ating resources at saka kulang ang sundalo natin (It has to be a sustainable one, otherwise it will end up as a ningas cogon or short-lived initiative. We all know that we lack the resources and we lack soldiers),” said Gibo when asked how a Teodoro presidency will deal with the insurgency problem.

As for a troop build-up, Gibo said, “kinakailangan po iyon eh.  Eh kaso alam naman po natin na hindi mangyayari yon sa mabilis na panahon dahil hindi naman po kaya ng ating bansa (We really need that. But we know that it cannot happen at once because we do not have enough resources to do it on a fast-track basis).”