Colonel Benedict Arevalo (left), commander of the Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade, pins a commendation medal on one of the troops of the 79th Battalion who engaged the communist rebels in Barangay Washington, Escalante City last November 16. The awarding was held on Monday (November 26, 2018) (Photo courtesy of 303rd Infantry Brigade, Philippine Army )
BACOLOD CITY -- The chief of the Philippine Army in Negros Island has assured that government troops will continue the efforts to end the atrocities of the New People’s Army (NPA).
Col. Benedict Arevalo, commander of 303rd Infantry Brigade based in Murcia, Negros Occidental, gave the assurance on Wednesday after President Rodrigo Duterte proposed to form a unit that will go after the communist rebels’ Special Partisan Unit or SPARU.
He said that although he is aware of the pronouncement of the President, the Army here has not yet received a formal order or guidance from the higher headquarters.
“Let me assure the people of Negros Occidental there’s nothing to worry about. We will continue our mission to attack the NPA rebels to end their violence and extortion activities guided by the rules of engagement. We will follow the rules,” Arevalo said.
He added that it should be the communist rebels who should worry, not the peace-loving and law-abiding citizens of Negros.
On Monday, Arevalo awarded commendation medals to personnel of the Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion and the Philippine National Police’s 6th Special Action Force, who engaged the rebels at Sitio Puting Bato in Barangay Washington, Escalante City last November 16.
The encounter led to the death of two NPA guerrillas and the recovery of an M16 rifle, a .45 caliber pistol, rounds of ammunition, a bullet proof vest, and subversive documents.
During the awarding rites held at the 79th headquarters in Sagay City, Arevalo said he wants his troops to be always in the highest state of morale by giving them due recognition for their accomplishments.
“Well-motivated troops can easily win the campaign against the NPA,” he said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1055253
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