Army: Sightings of armed men not validated yet

From the Philippine Information Agency (Aug 22): Army: Sightings of armed men not validated yet

A top military officer commanding the province's sole brigade reiterates that Bohol is still insurgency-free and the reports about the sightings of armed men still need to be validated.

Speaking at the Kapihan sa PIA, 47th Infantry Battalion commanding officer Lt. Colonel Joel Malig said the units under him are currently undergoing intensified intelligence operations along with other allied units to confirm and escalate these reports into A1 information.

He explained that reports which are shared in council meetings have one intent: to make sure the communities would know about these reported sightings of armed men to engage them to help verify and add the details necessary to make positive confirmation.

"We urge the continuing support of Boholanos as we ask them to remain vigilant," he said.

Col. Malig insists that there is so much that communities can do to help keep Bohol insurgency-free.

While the sighting reports continue to be staple in peace and order councils and their meetings, 47IB clarified that they will not also downplay these intelligence reports.

Information also reaching authorities detail how other armed groups reportedly do extortion activities using the New People's Army to sow fear and thus exact money easily.

"Not all reports of armed men sighted can be NPAs, they may be goods or common bands of criminals," Col. Malig saod during the forum also attended by guests from the Philippine Military Academy.

Nevertheless, he also said that reports about sightings would continue to be validated as they could come as long as the Philippines is not insurgency free.

"The threat remains," he stressed even as the battalion commander explains that there are still provinces near Bohol which continue to struggle against insurgents.

He shared that as long as there are military operations against insurgents in nearby provinces, dispersion of these belligerent groups undermining the economies and development of a community continue to be real threats.

If the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) who were over 500 kilometers away came in to Bohol, there is no reason why the rebels from nearby islands could not, Col. Malig argued.

On this, he cited the effects of insurgency in Bohol's development.

During the times when Bohol was still haunted by insurgency problems, its poverty incidence came at 51 percent, he pointed out.

Years later, after the 2010 declaration of Bohol as insurgency-free, poverty incidence went down to 21.7 percent, with a little over seven years of peace and progress.

As the internal security operators continue to bring poverty incidence down by making sure the province remains to be insurgency-free, he also adds that Boholanos should also do the same by not allowing the rebels to sow fear in the communities. 

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1101503388001/army-sightings-of-armed-men-not-validated-yet-