Published February 21, 2021, 12:37 PM When Communist rebels waged a series of attacks in the middle of peace negotiations during the early years of the present administration, the then peace pact optimist President Duterte immediately cancelled all confidence-building measures with them—not even the traditional Holiday truce was honored. National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. (REY BANIQUET/Presidential Photo / MANILA BULLETIN) Instead, security officials focused on aggressive military operations against the New People’s Army (NPA), and stepped up the campaign against the personalities whom the government tagged as having links with the Communist rebels. Such aggressive operations were coupled with programs and projects to lure NPA fighters to return to the fold of the law, and the infusion of funds to make economic development felt at the barangay level—the purpose is to deny the insurgents the opportunity to take advantage of poverty and government neglect for their recruitment — and eventually clear them of NPA influence.