Caraga army brigade chief seeks continued public support vs. NPA

From the Philippine Information Agency (Mar 18): Caraga army brigade chief seeks continued public support vs. NPA

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur – Col. Alexander Macario, 401st Infantry Brigade commander of the Philippine Army (PA) has called on the public to always keep in touch with any of the police and army in case of menacing presence of New People’s Army (NPA) in their locality as the 46th anniversary of the rebel groups on March 29 draws near.

The army official admitted that NPA activities in his area of responsibility (AOR) have stepped up;  in fact as he speaks early today while being interviewed, Macario bared at least five construction equipment owned by Madyaw Construction and Development Corporation in La Paz town, Agusan del Sur have been burned.

He said that Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur are still under the “security responsibility” of his brigade, adding that anytime within this week or a week later, the latter will already be fully “realigned” to the 402nd Infantry Brigade, which is under Col. Isidro Purisima, who just assumed post early last month.

Moreover, he stressed that 402nd Brigade’s AOR is going to be solely Surigao del Sur, which is home to four army battalions at present.

Transition is currently ongoing, Macario remarked.

It can be recalled that news of putting up an army brigade in Surigao del Sur has already been made public recently by Governor Johnny Pimentel.

Meanwhile, the brigade commander said that despite the increased sightings of insurgents as reported by civilians in his AOR, the situation remains relatively normal, hence there is no cause for alarm.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1741426666284/caraga-army-brigade-chief-seeks-continued-public-support-vs-npa