Westmincom downplays NPA capability to create havoc

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 11): Westmincom downplays NPA capability to create havoc

The military’s Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) has downplayed the capability of the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels to create havoc here in the Western Mindanao area.

Maj. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., Westmincom chief, on Saturday said the strength of the NPA in the region was only capable to do a “platoon-size” formation, of which the number of people ranged from 15 to 30 fighters.

Galvez said the NPA rebels had influence in only few of the barangays in the region.

The presence of the NPA rebels in only concentrated in the three Zamboanga provinces.

“We are now in the process of conducting operations (against the NPA rebels),” Galvez said as he assured the public that the threat posed by the NPAs was not as serious as that in Davao and Caraga regions.

He assured that the public had nothing to worry since there were troops designated to address the threats posed by the NPAs as well as by other groups like the Abu Sayyaf bandits and Maute terror group.

There are four Army brigades--101st, 102nd, 103rd, and 104th--and one Marine Brigade that are under the command of Westmincom. These are complimented by elite units of the Scout Rangers and Special Forces.

Earlier, Lt. Col. Virgilio Hamos Jr., Army’s 53rd Infantry Battalion commander, disclosed that seven of the 26 municipalities in Zamboanga del Sur were known to be NPA-influenced areas.

These are the municipalities of San Miguel, Lapuyan, Bayog, Lakewood, Midsalip, Dumingag and Josefina.

Previously, Hamos said there were 12 towns in Zamboanga del Sur known to be NPA-influence places but reduced to seven as brought about by continuous military offensive against them.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=963181