From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 4, 2022): Eastern Visayas welcomes new army battalion to secure polls (By Sarwell Meniano)
NEW ASSIGNMENT. Troops of the Army's 3rd Infantry Battalion during a formal send-off ceremony in Davao City on Feb. 2, 2022. The unit will be assigned in Eastern Visayas to help secure the May 2022 elections. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Army 3rd Infantry Battalion)
The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Battalion will arrive in Eastern Visayas over the weekend to help ensure peaceful and orderly elections in the region, the Army’s 8th Infantry Division announced on Friday.
The battalion that was under the Army’s 10th Infantry Division based in Davao City, will arrive in Samar on Saturday.
They will be formally welcomed by key army officials in the region in a ceremony at the division headquarters in Catbalogan City, Samar on Monday.
Maj. Gen. Edgardo De Leon said in a phone interview their deployment is very welcome since the unit will serve as a maneuver unit in the region to work with the Philippine National Police in ensuring peaceful and orderly polls, especially in hot spot areas.
“They are flexible and will be assigned anywhere in our area of operation in Eastern Visayas where they are needed. If there are emergency situations during the election, we have a standby unit. Their presence will not disrupt the operations of our existing units,” De Leon said.
He said the new battalion led by its commander Col. Juvenal Mark Tayamen will have its temporary headquarters in Calbayog City, Samar.
“They will not be introduced to any local candidates, hence, we are assured that they are non-partisan. They are fresh and not acquainted with any local official in the region unlike our soldiers currently assigned in the region,” De Leon added.
The battalion was deployed in Davao in 2016 to help fight the New People’s Army (NPA), particularly in Paquibato District in the hinterlands of Davao City, the hotbed of armed rebels.
The Army’s 10th Infantry Division reported on its Facebook page that the 3rd Infantry Battalion dismantled in 2019 the NPA guerilla front 54 operating in Davao City.
In 2020, the unit wiped out the NPA guerilla front 56 also in Davao City.
The unit was also instrumental in dismantling the NPA sub-regional committee 5 of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1167033
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