Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the National Peace and Order Council meeting will focus on the socio-economic aspect of the government’s "holistic approach" to finally extirpate the communist insurgency in the country.

The National Peace and Order Council meeting was called by its chairman and vice chairman, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ronaldo Puno and Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Avelino J. Cruz Jr., respectively.

Ermita added that the council meeting will also discuss how to use the R1-billion fund released by President Arroyo to finance the all-out war against the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA).

The R1-billion fund for the war against the communist rebels will reportedly be disbursed to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), with R700 million going to the military. The remaining R300 million will go to the police.

Mrs. Arroyo recently announced an all-out war against communist insurgency that will include legal actions against the communist leaders, social programs to convince people to shun communism, and military operations against communist rebels.

Ermita said another issue that will be discussed in the council meeting is the plot to disrupt the State-of-the-Nation Address (SoNA) of Mrs. Arroyo before Congress on July 24. (David Cagahastian)