Army activates joint task force

From the Visayan Daily Star (Sep 20, 2019): Army activates joint task force

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has formed the Joint Task Force Negros to closely supervise the anti-insurgency campaign of two Army infantry brigades in Negros Island.

JTF Negros is headed by Brig. Gen. Eric Vinoya, who is the Assistant Division Commander of the 3rd Infantry Division.

Capt. Cenon Pancito III, 3ID Public Affairs Office chief, said yesterday that the creation of JTF Negros was for the rapid resolution of the insurgency problem in Negros Island.

The JTF Negros appears to be similar to the defunct Negros Island Command created in 1990, with retired Army Brig. Gen. Raymundo Jarque as the first commander.

Pancito said that JTF Negros was activated in compliance with the order of President Rodrigo Duterte after expressing indignation during the 40th Cabinet Meeting on Aug. 5 over the brutal killings of policemen in Negros.

While JTF Negros will be under the administrative control of 3ID and operational control of the AFP Central Command, Cenon said that the task force will undertake operational control of all Army units in the conduct of internal security operations in Negros Island, that took effect Sept. 1.

There are five Army battalions deployed in Negros under the 302nd and 303rd Infantry Brigades.

Vinoya said in a statement issued by 3ID Public Affairs Office that JTF Negros intends to address the insurgency situation, reduce and stop local, national and foreign terrorists groups, and ultimately dismantle priority NPA guerilla fronts.

He also said JTF Negros was not only created to address the roots of insurgency and fight government enemies, but to develop good working relationships among its members and other stakeholders by adopting the whole-of-nation approach.

“Ending insurgency to attain the desired sustainable peace and development does not only depend on the law enforcement agencies, military and police, but also on the cooperation of all local government units and national government agencies; hence, we are adopting the national peace framework,” Vinoya added.

The provinces of Negros Oriental and Occidental launched the Provincial Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) that aims to end insurgency and sustain peace and order efforts in NPA affected communities through the delivery of government services and socio-economic programs to the people.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2019/September/20/topstory7.htm