More troops deployed to Negros against NPA

BACOLOD CITY — Negros Island, known as the “laboratory” or testing ground of counterinsurgency operations by the Armed Forces of the Philippines for three decades now, is getting another Philippine Army battalion, and 140 more policemen to beef up the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office for internal security operations.

The newly-activated 94th Infantry “Mandirigma” Battalion, consisting of at least 500 officers and enlisted personnel, is expected to arrive in Negros Island anytime, after the 3rd Infantry Division, headed by Major General Dinoh Dolina, led the send-off ceremony of the troops on Wednesday at Camp Macario Peralta in Jamindan, Capiz.

Captain Eduardo Precioso, 3rd ID Public Affairs Office chief, yesterday said the 500-strong 94th IB, led by Lieutenant Colonel Carlo Ferrer, will augment infantry units of the 303rd Infantry Brigade in dismantling New People’s Army guerilla fronts in Negros Island.

Precioso said the 94th IB successfully completed an organizational training designed for counter-insurgency operations and for enhancement of their combat competence.

With the expected arrival of the 94th IB, Colonel Alberto Desoyo, newly-installed 303rd IBde commander, will now supervise four battalions in Negros, including the newly-arrived 15th IB from Mindanao, and the 62nd and 79th IBs deployed in northern Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental.

Dolina reminded the soldiers to continue adhering to the International Humanitarian Law, human rights, and the rule of law, in performance of their mandate of serving and securing the Negrenses. “Always put the people’s welfare in the center of your duties”, he said.

Meanwhile, 72 neophyte policemen were added to the existing personnel of the 1st Company, while 68 others augmented the manpower of the 2nd Company, all of the Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Force unit.

Inspector Charmae De Paz, NOCPPO spokesperson, disclosed that troopers of the two mobile force companies will focus on internal security operations in Negros Occidental.

The deployment of more soldiers and policemen to Negros Island came in the wake of intensified atrocities committed by the NPA, especially in central Negros, such as the burning of heavy equipment used in construction of farm to market roads, water dam, farm implements and equipment.

The NPA had also claimed numerous liquidation activities in central Negros, of those they accused as government informants.