Military launches own war vs drugs in Northern Mindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 3): Military launches own war vs drugs in Northern Mindanao

The government troops in this largest military camp in Northern Mindanao are launching a “new war” as the government is set to end the 40-year-old armed conflict with the communist insurgents in the country, a military official announced Wednesday.

Capt. Patrick Martinez, the Army’s spokesperson of the 4th Infantry Division here, said that the 6,000 government soldiers in the region would undergo another “specialized warfare” - the one against drugs - in anticipation of a successful peace talk with the communist insurgents in the coming months.

“We are preparing our soldiers to undergo a comprehensive training in the war against illegal drug trade in Northern Mindanao,” Martinez said.

He said that the 4ID has initially worked out with the Philippine National Police (PNP) on a crash course that would equip the military the needed know-how in intercepting illegal drugs and arresting pushers.

Martinez said that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) would become the lead partner in the training of the military in “the war against illegal drugs” in the region.

He said that the 4ID has yet to set the number of days of the training and whether it would be done on a daily or weekly basis.

Martinez also said the 4ID expects that each of the division’s approximately 6,000 government troops would undergo the training.

He noted that the government troops currently attached to the division are spread out in three brigades, seven organic battalions, three attached battalions and the three more battalions on loan from the Special Operations Command.

The government soldiers are assigned in the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Bukidnon, Agusan Del Norte, Agusan Del Sur, Surigao Del Norte, Surigao Del Sur and Dinagat Island.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=910260