SurSur army chief: Insurgency still lingers in some areas of province

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jun 22): SurSur army chief: Insurgency still lingers in some areas of province

Col. Isidro Purisima, commander of the 402nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army (PA), this province, admitted that insurgency problems had continued to thrive but only in some areas here.

The government’s campaign to purge the province of rebels had already gained broad support from the public, he stressed.

On June 10, the army brigade here held an Area Clearing Validation (ACV) with Gov. Johnny Pimentel and Brig. Gen. Paul Atal, respective chairs of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC), this province, and Area Clearing Validation Board (ACVB) of the army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) aimed at assessing the insurgency situation.

During the occasion, all four battalion commanders of the 402nd Infantry Brigade under Col. Purisima were in attendance together with the mayors or their alter egos.

In a recent interview, Purisima said that the lawless armed groups (LAG), referring to the New People’s Army (NPA), had still managed to have their presence felt.

This occurred on June 15 when a container van loaded with banana products owned by the DOLE Philippines was set on fire at the national highway of Barangay Amaga in Barobo town, 105 kilometers south, this city.

It was learned however that, together with the police, the counteraction made by government troopers was pinned on the company’s vicinity instead.

Col. Purisima had issued a statement condemning the violent act, urging the public to do the same.  Such incident was already carried out twice in a row in the same town this year.

The brigade commander said that schoolchildren who happened to witness the burning incident made by some 15 lawless elements, according to P/CInsp. Dominador Plaza, the town’s chief of police (COP), were even threatened that something bad was going to be done.

Companies here which do not yield to the rebels’ way of extorting money, had incurred heavy losses, reports indicated.

Col. Purisima had expressed hope that the incoming Duterte administration would put an end to the lingering problem on insurgency in the country.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1741466592159/sursur-army-chief-insurgency-still-lingers-in-some-areas-of-province