Army deploys 82IB to boost internal security in Cebu

From the Philippine News Agency (May 26, 2021): Army deploys 82IB to boost internal security in Cebu (By Mary Judaline Partlow)

The 82nd Infantry Battalion (82IB) of the Philippine Army was deployed to Barangay Nangka in Balamban, Cebu to intensify efforts against the remaining Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army rebels (CPP-NPA) in the area.

Maj. Cenon Pancito III, spokesperson of the 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, in a media release on Wednesday, said the Central Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines had requested the deployment of the battalion “to augment in the clearing and dismantling of the remaining guerilla fronts”.

The 82IB deployment is also seen to “address the gap and security vacuum, particularly in Cebu Island”.

Soldiers of the battalion started arriving by batch in Cebu in early May and went through a 14-day quarantine period as a measure against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Maj. Gen. Eric Vinoya, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, welcomed the soldiers, saying their mission is to “dismantle the remaining (insurgents) in the provinces of Cebu and Siquijor”.

"We assure the peace-loving people of these provinces that their Army in Central and Western Visayas will not stop its fight until they attain an NPA-free community,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.

The 82IB was previously based in Miag-ao, Iloilo.

It is now placed under the operational control of Task Group Cebu-Bohol-Siquijor to handle security operations and sustain efforts in the islands, the media release said.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1141510