Bacolod City – The Army’s 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division is targeting to declare Negros Island “insurgency free” by the end of 2023, recently revealed its commander, Maj. Gen. Marion Sison.
With God’s grace, and as long as TF ELCAC (Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict) is very active in the field of cooperation and collaboration, among each and every member of government agencies and the community, we can finish this, Sison said.
He disclosed that for the first time in more than 50 years of fighting the insurgency problem, the focus of the main effort of the Armed Forces of the Philippines is now in Visayas, including Negros Island.
Sison, who commands the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division infantry units stationed in Western and Central Visayas regions, said “this is the first time in the history of AFP that VISCOM (Visayas Command) was the main effort, as far as dismantling of guerilla fronts, in ending the insurgency in the whole Philippines.”
As far as internal security operations are concerned, the effort of AFP is now focusing in the Visayas area in eliminating, decimating, dismantling of all existing guerilla fronts, he further said, stressing that “statistically, we are on the 70 to 75 percent winning, as far as numbers of surrendered and killed NPA rebels, and recovery of almost 100 percent of barangays that used to be under the infiltration and influence of the CPP NPA.”
The 3ID was recently conferred with numerous awards by the AFP, because of its anti-insurgency campaign accomplishments, especially in Negros, mainly on the accomplishments of the 303rd Infantry Brigade that recorded at least 30 armed engagements since the start of the year, which led to the neutralization of 67 guerillas, including several of its top NPA leaders, who died in encounters.
Hopefully by the end of the year, we may able to dismantle the three remaining guerilla fronts, including the Central Negros 1 and 2, as well as the South West Front of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros/Cebu/Bohol/Siquijor, that will pave the way for the declaration of Negros Island as “insurgency free,” Sison said.
Of the three Army infantry brigades supervised by the 3ID, the 302nd and 303rd Infantry Brigades are stationed in Negros Island, with six Army battalions under their respective commands.
Sison thanked Negros Occidental Gov. Lacson for actively leading them in the addressing the insurgency problem in the island, being leader of the Provincial Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict.
“We can’t finish the fight, without you, and the local chief executives,” Sison told Lacson and mayor awardees, who played a vital role in the implementation of EO 70, which mandates a whole of nation approach in putting an end to the decades long communist insurgency problem, at Camp Major Nelson Gerona in Murcia, Negros Occidental.
Assisted by Brig. Gen. Orlando Edralin, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, which marked its 37th founding anniversary yesterday, Sison led the distribution of plaques of recognition to its supporters, including Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Abang Lingkod Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, San Carlos City Mayor Renato Gustilo, Toboso Mayor Madonna Jaojoco, Escalante Mayor Melecio Yap, Valladolid Mayor Enrique Miravalles, Kabankalan City Mayor Benjie Miranda, and Himamaylan City Mayor Rogelio Raymund Tongson of Negros Occidental, and Guihulngan City Mayor Filomeno Reyes of Negros Oriental, among other civilian supporters.
He also rallied men and women of the 303rd Infantry Brigade to continue the conduct of focused military operations.
“This is the right time to finish the enemy. This is the right time for us to prepare ourselves for territorial defense,” Sison further stressed.
Also conferred with Military Merit Medals by Sison were SSgt. Harold Bayona, Sgt. Jonil Gruta, TSgt. Raul Ceron, 1Lt. Analyn Lonjawon and TSgt. Charlie Palomado.
In attending the 303IB founding anniversary, Sison and Edralin were joined by their members of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1991, Brigadier Generals Leonardo Peña and Michael Samson. (Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star (TVDS), photo courtesy of TVDS)
