The Army’s 3rd Infantry Division is targeting to recommend the declaration of Negros Island as insurgency-free by the 1st quarter of next year, with the hope of dismantling the remaining guerilla front in Southern Negros by year ends, its commander, Maj. Gen. Marion Sison disclosed recently.
Of the five NPA guerilla fronts in Negros, the 3ID declared the dismantling of the South East and Northern Negros Fronts, Central Negros 1 and 2 guerilla fronts, while it categorized the South West Front under the Komiteng Rehiyonal– Negros/Cebu/Bohol/Siquijor (KR-NCBS) as a “weakened” guerilla front.
Military records indicated that almost all top leaders of KR-NCBS have already been neutralized, among them Rogelio Posadas, secretary of KR- NBCS, Romeo Nanta, alias Ka Juaning, Regional Commander of the NPA Apolinario Gatmaitan Command, in Negros Island, and seven others who were killed in gunbattles this year, from January until now.
Records of the 3ID indicated that a total of 102 NPA members have been either killed in encounters, captured, or surrendered, with 142 firearms recovered in the same period.
Sison thanked members of the RPOC 6 for their support to the 3ID effort to end the local communist armed conflict in the region.
The 3ID supervises internal security operations in Regions 6 and 7.
In a statement, Sison also said that the call of the National Democratic Front to release their jailed leaders and suspension of Local Peace Engagement were part of the propaganda of the CPP-NPA-NDF.
For his part, MGen. Sison addressed the peace council members on the various demands of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), including the release of their leaders and suspension of Local Peace Engagement, which, according to them, will help advance peace negotiations. MGen. Sison clarified that these demands were part of the propaganda of the CPP-NPA-NDF, for they are now dying.
“We will continue our focused military operations and support for NTF-ELCAC ( National Task Force – Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict), extending from the regional to the provincial, municipal, and barangay levels, along with our commitment to Local Peace Engagement,” he stressed.
For his part, Gov. Lacson lauded the efforts of ELCAC, Philippine Army and National Police, Philippine Coast Guard, as well as the Bureau of Fire and Protection, in the successful conduct of Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) 2023, especially in preventing the ‘permit to campaign’ strategy of the CPP-NPA.
(Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star (TVDS), photo courtesy by TVDS)