Negros JTF getting air, naval assets

From the Visayan Daily Star (Oct 2, 2019): Negros JTF getting air, naval assets

The Joint Task Force – Negros has been provided with air and naval assets of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to complement the Philippine Army in fast-tracking its counter-insurgency operations in Negros Island.

Brig. Gen. Eric Vinoya, JTF-Negros commander, called on leaders and members of the Komiteng Rehiyonal-Negros to surrender now, or suffer the full force of the task force.

In a statement issued by JTF-Negros Vinoya said that they will hit the communist rebels, if they will not surrender, and warned them to expect more combat encounters in the next few weeks.

Rico Obrero, spokesman of the National Democratic Front-Negros, had said earlier said in a statement that Vinoya and Brig. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, are hallucinating in their claims of destroying the Northern and Central Negros Fronts by the end of the year.

“To save your life, you (communist rebels) still have the chance to leave the armed movement and go back to the folds of the law and enjoy the true freedom and different government basic services together with your loved ones,” Vinoya said.

The JTF-Negros was created on Sept. 1 to undertake operational control of all AFP Units in Negros in conducting internal security operations to ultimately dismantle priority guerilla fronts and defeat communist rebels in the island.

Capt. Sherwin Parro, spokesman of JTF-Negros, said the creation of the task force is not only to defeat the local armed insurgents but also to develop good working relationships with other stakeholders through the whole-of-nation approach in ending local communist armed conflict.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2019/October/02/topstory11.htm