3ID aims to declare Negros under state of stable internal peace, security
IL OIL O City–The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) is aiming for the declaration of Negros Island in a state of stable internal peace and security (SIPS) in the first quarter of this year.
Major General Marion Sison, 3ID commander, cited the dismantling of all guerrilla fronts of Komiteng RehiyonNegros Cebu Bohol Siquijor (KR-NCBS) operating in the island.
Sison added there are no more major violence and incidents perpetrated by the Communist Terrorists Group (CTG) in the area for more than a year – one of the significant factors for SIPS declaration.
The 3ID commander emphasized that declaring Neg ros Island in SIPS will further strengthen and em power the local government units, including the local government agencies, in the performance of their respective mandates in pursuit of just and lasting peace.
“With our firm resolve and commitment in this collective effort, declaring the entire Negros Island in a state of SIPS is not impossible. Your Army in Western and Central Visayas, in strong collaboration and coordination with our partners and stakeholders, shall overcome the challenges to achieve this goal. We are more than determined to end the local communist armed conflict in Negros in order to achieve genuine peace and progress for the Negrenses,” Sison said.
Records from the 3ID showed that all guerrilla front sin Negros Island were dismantled due to the collaborative efforts of concerned government agencies, local government units, private sectors, and the Negrenses.
On Oct. 9, 2023, Central Negros 1 (CN1) was declared dismantled, followed by Central Negros 2 ( CN2) on Nov. 13, 2023, while both the South East Front (SEF) and Northern Negros Front (NNF) were dismantled on April 6, 2021, the Army said.
Additionally, the South West Front ( SWF) was declared dismantled at the Visayas Command’s level as per the result of the area clearing validation committee as of Thursday, Feb. 1, and waiting for the joint resolution from the National Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center (NJPSCC).
Sison said that since 2023 to the present date, the 3ID has successfully cleared a total of 219 barangays from the influence of CTG through the continuous implementation of the Community Support Program (CSP).
Out of these 219 barangays, 145 were located in Negros Island, of which 121 already received t he Barangay Development Program (BDP) projects.
The BDP is a hallmark initiative of the National Task Force to End Local Communist
Armed Conflict ( NTF- ELCAC), with the end goal of bringing development and delivering various government programs to conflict-afflicted and geographically isolated villages that have been considered “cleared” from the influence of communist terrorists.
During the same period, the 3ID had also launched a total of 96 engagements, 54 of which occurred in Negros Island, with seven classified as major engagements.
These major encounters led to the surrender of 167 individuals that include 58 mass supporters, 109 CTG members, and 86 others from Negros. It also resulted in the seizure of 185 firearms.
However, despite these significant gains, t he 3ID remains persistent in pursuing the remnants of the dismantled guerrilla fronts to render them inconsequential./