Negros gets add’l troops

From the Visayan Daily Star (Jan 31, 2019): Negros gets add’l troops

Negros Island got two more companies of Army soldiers, composed of about 220 troops, to be placed under the supervision of the 302nd and 303rd Infantry Brigades.

The Bravo Company of the 94th Infantry Battalion yesterday arrived at the port of Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental, on board a Philippine Navy vessel.

Capt. Eduardo Precioso, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs Office chief, said that the 94IB Bravo Company was previously under the supervision of 301st Infantry Brigade in Iloilo for six months.

The rejoining of the Bravo Company with its mother unit now assigned in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, came after the recent activation of the 61IB Delta Company, also in Panay.

On top of the 94IB Bravo Company troopers, Col. Benedict Arevalo, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, yesterday said that they also got an additional 100 neophyte soldiers, who recently graduated from military training at Camp Macario Peralta in Jamindan, Capiz, who will be assigned to the different Army battalions in Negros.

Arevalo said the deployment of 220 additional troops in Negros, is in compliance with the Memorandum Order Number 32 issued by Malacañang to suppress lawless violence and acts of terror of the NPA in Negros and in other areas of the country.

Ka JB Regalado, spokesperson of the NPA Leonardo Panaligan Command, issued a statement claiming that the additional troops are aimed to replace those they had killed in their successful tactical operations.

Regalado added that they are not afraid the deployment of more troops in Negros, as he claimed that they have the support of the people.

Arevalo said the deployment of more troops in Negros is a boost to their campaign against the CPP-NPA in Negros island.

He also reiterated his order for Army troops to aggressively run after the NPA rebels and prevent them from conducting atrocities and extortion activities, noting also that the election campaign period will start next month.

The 3ID is now recruiting 200 more soldiers to further beef up the army units in Regions 6 and 7.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2019/January/31/topstory3.htm