Army claims ESTOCA control

From the Visayan Daily Star (Jan 6): Army claims ESTOCA control

Col. Jon Aying, 303rdInfantry Brigade commander, said yesterday th
at they were able to take control “tactically” of the ESTOCA (Escalante-Toboso-Calatrava) areas, that now has a negligible presence of armed New People’s Army rebels.

Aying said this was accomplished through the employment of the “whole province approach” strategy in addressing peace and development concerns.

The ESTOCA areas have been the focus of the Philippine Army in more than six months in 2013 for their “winning the peace” campaign, in tandem with multi-sectoral groups, through the Provincial Peace Integration Development Unit, a sub-committee of the Provincial Peace and Order Council chaired by Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr.

Aying, however, said residents are still susceptible to the return of the NPA, who managed to establish influence among them in the past several years, although they have cleared almost all NPA influenced-barangays in the ESTOCA areas of armed rebels, with Army Bayanihan Teams immersed with the populace, to help improve their lives.

The last encounter in northern Negros took place September last year in the boundary of Sagay and Toboso, and claimed the life of a suspected NPA leader, the capture of three others, and the recovery of nine high-powered firearms, that included M-14, M-14 and AK 47 assault rifles, military records showed.

The rebels reportedly fled towards the hinterlands of San Carlos City and its boundary with Calatrava.

Aying said he is optimistic about erasing the influence of the NPA over the ESTOCA residents within three months, with the help of the multi-sectoral groups, that will include local government units, non-government and people’ organizations, private and Church sectors, and others, now closely working with them.

The Army Bayanihan Teams are now deployed in 20 hinterland barangays of ESTOCA areas.

Military records also show that the number of rebel returnees in Negros Occidental, majority of whom used to be operating in northern Negros, have gone up to 97 since 2011.

On their ongoing campaign in southern Negros, Aying said the 47th Infantry Battalion is trying to prevent the expansion of rebel influence over the populace.

However, the Armando Sumayang Command in Southern Negros claimed victories against the government troops, as they managed to recover several high-powered firearms from slain Army soldiers during an encounter on May last year in Sipalay City.

The central Negros area is under the operational control of the 11th Infantry Battalion, supervised by the 302nd Infantry Brigade.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2014/January/06/topstory5.htm