Gov’t troops to secure vital installations in Leyte

From the Leyte Samar Daily Express (Dec 12): Gov’t troops to secure vital installations in Leyte

Government troops will ensure that vital installations in the province of Leyte will be secured to ensure safety of its personnel and continue providing its services to the people, just like the geothermal plant located in the town of Kananga and the city of Ormoc. Captain Dranreb Canto, 802nd Infantry Brigade public information officer ,assured this after a series of rebel attacks that hit the province of Leyte last week that claimed the lives of several military personnel.

Two separate attacks were initiated by rebel groups in the towns of Jaro and Albuera just this month. These towns are known to be areas under influence of red groups. The attacks caused the death of four government troops and wounding a civilian. About 10 lawless armed elements harassed the base of Alpha Company of 78th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Antipolo, Albuera town, at around 7:50 p.m. of December 6, wounding Edgar Borinaga, a resident of the said barangay.

In a separate incident, some 10 NPAs attacked troops who were providing security to members of a Bayanihan Team of 19th Infantry Battalion conducting peace and development activities in Barangay Rubas, Jaro town at around 8 p.m. resulting to the death of two soldiers and wounding of three others. Last November 30, one soldier was killed and two others were wounded when elements of the 78th Infantry Battalion were ambushed by more or less 10 NPAs at Sitio Calingatnan, Barangay San Pedro, Albuera, Leyte.

“We (military) are considering all vital installation as soft target of attacks,” Canto said.
A troop under the 802nd IB is stationed inside the geothermal complex, according to Canto, to ensure the safety of its personnel and all its structures considering that the geothermal plant supplies electricity not just in the province of Leyte but for the entire region and its neighboring regions to include Luzon.

Aside from the AFP, the Philippine National Police also has troops stationed inside the geothermal complex. Although several attacks were already made by rebel groups in some areas in the province of Leyte, the military have not yet monitored any possible attacks that would be made by red groups in the vital installation under the territorial jurisdiction of Leyte. “We haven’t monitored or receive information that they will attack our vital installations but we will not lay down our guard,” Canto stressed.

http://leytesamardaily.net/2012/12/govt-troops-to-secure-vital-installations-in-leyte/