Negros Island insurgents free by next year

From the Manila Bulletin (Apr 10): Negros Island insurgents free by next year

CAMP LAPULAPU, Cebu City- A top military official from the 3rd Infantry Division (ID) of the Central Command (Centcom) is optimistic the whole of Negros Island will be insurgency free by next year.

Maj. Gen. Jose Mabanta, commander of 3rd ID based in Camp Peralta, Jamindan, Capiz said the “military is doing great stride in clearing the whole of Negros Island.”

He added, however, that they cannot declare one province as insurgency free

The military official described Negros Island as a special case because it consists of two provinces: Negros Oriental which is part of Central Visayas and Negros Occidental which is among the provinces of Western Visayas. It is the third largest island in the country with a land area of 13,328 kilometers.

Mabanta noted they cannot declare one province as insurgency free and leave the other. “We have to declare the whole island,” he said.

Centcom hopes to declare the entire island insurgency free by 2015.

In a related development, the 8th Infantry Division (ID) which is operating in Eastern Visayas has already declared Eastern Samar as Manageable Conflict Affected and Ready for Development last month.

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