Army chief hails 8th ID as the best division in the entire country

From the Philippine Information Agency (Aug 6): Army chief hails 8th ID as the best division in the entire country

Philippine Army Chief, Lieutenant General Noel Coballes, hailed the 8th Infantry Division (8th ID) as the best army division in the country.

Coballes, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA)“Mapitagan” Class of 1980 praised the 8th ID commanding general Maj. Gen. Gerardo Layug for demonstrating exemplary and commendable dedication to duty.

Coballes was the guest of honor and speaker during the 8th ID’s Silver Founding Anniversary recently.

He urged the officers and enlisted men to maintain success in addressing the insurgency problem and to continue engaging the people in shared trust and responsibility for peace and security in the region.

“Maybe some of our officers here got these questions in mind the first time they got their assignment in Samar, What is my fault? Why will they send me to Samar? But they are wrong because they now belong to the best division with the best officers and men,” said Coballes.

8th ID’s significant accomplishments during the first semester of 2013 include the arrest of fifteen NPA insurgents, five of whom held key and high positions in the CPP-NPA hierarchy in the region; recovery of 17 high powered firearms and 23 low-powered firearms; neutralization of 7 NPA insurgents during encounters; surrender of 101 rebels composed of 20 NPA insurgents and 81 NPA organized mass members; and the discovery and seizure of 77 NPA camps.

With all these significant successes, the chief commanded his men to persevere in their achievement and ensure the reduced insurgency-related issues to realize the government’s economic programs.

The Armed Forces Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) “Bayanihan”, aims to end by 2016 internal security threats from the CPP-NPA-NDF (CNN), Abu Sayyaf Group, rogue MNLF elements, and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter (BIFF).

IPSP emphasizes that the primary focus of the AFP in the conduct of its operations is Winning the Peace and not just defeating the enemy.

http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1221375754921