The Philippines’ new armed forces chief, Lieutenant General Hermogenes Esperon, yesterday outlined plans to redeploy many of the government troops fighting Muslim separatists in the southern island of Mindanao to hunting down Maoist guerrillas. The move reflects Manila’s assessment that the 7,000-strong New People’s Army, which is waging Asia’s longest-running communist insurgency, represents the biggest security threat holding back economic growth in the south-east nation of 86m people. Full Story