The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has started to move some 500 soldiers of the Philippines Marines Landing Team 3 to Misamis Oriental since Wednesday.
Maj. Leo Bongasia, spokesperson of the army’s 4th Infantry Division here, said that the massive redeployment and repositioning of the Marines in Misamis Oriental has orders to crush the New People's Army (NPA) rebels who ambushed Gingoog City Mayor Ruthie Guingona five days ago.
Bongasia said the deployment of the Marines continues until Friday with the landing team anchoring in Nasipit, Agusan del Norte, some 100-kilometer northeast of
He said the Marine Corps would have a temporary headquarters in Balingasag where the army’s previous 58th Infantry of Battalion has a military base.
Bongasia also dismissed reports that the deployment of Marines has caused anxiety among farmers in the hinterlands of Misamis Oriental.
A village councilor in Barangay Capitulangan reportedly went to a local radio station to report that hundreds of civilians have started evacuating from their farmlands for fear that the drive against the armed communist guerillas will erupt into an all-out war in the area.
He said that said affected local communities near Barangay Kapitulangan including Barangays Bakid-Bakid, Pinulangan, Dimakulan, Libon and Sitio Mindurian, all of
“We have not received any report of a farmer abandoning their farms and houses in the mountain barangays of Misamis Oriental due to the presence of Marines in their areas,” Bongasia said.
Bongasia said the Marines were called to assist the Philippine Army (PA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to ensure that the conduct of the May 13 elections in areas concerned would be peaceful.
The army spokesperson also confirmed that the Philippine Marines were deployed in Barangays Bakid-Bakid, Pinulangan, Dimakulan, Libon and Kapitulangan, all of
Bongasia said Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, and now Misamis Oriental are "areas of concern" in the May 13 elections in the region due to the presence of armed groups in these areas.
He said that the deployment of the additional troops to Misamis Oriental had been planned even before the NPA attack on Mayor Guingona.
“The presence of the additional troops would stop any intimidating plans to disrupt the coming election,” said Bongosia.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=520291
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