GUIMARAS - From anti-insurgency campaign to disaster operations.
This is now where the Armed Forces of the Philippines is focusing in provinces declared as insurgency-free or conflict manageable and development-ready, Lt. Gen. John Bonafos, AFP vice chief of staff, yesterday said.
Guimaras yesterday was added to the list of provinces, that include Negros Oriental, Aklan and Antique, covered by the 3rd Infantry Division, and declared as insurgency-free that, Bonafos said, was long overdue.
Bonafos, who represented AFP chief of staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang in the joint signing and hand-over of the Internal Peace and Security Operations to the Provincial Peace and Order Council in Jordan, Guimaras, said there is need to organize the AFP Reserve Force structure in insurgency-free provinces, with its members to be used in disaster operations.
“Once we solve the insurgency problem in certain areas, we will focus on disaster response capability, as part of the development component,” he said.
Governor Samuel Gumarin said insurgency has never been an issue in Guimaras in the past decades. However, there were reports that Guimaras had been used as a rest and recreation area of local communist leaders, who had escaped from military operations.
Bonafos said that despite its being an insurgency-free province, threats to security are always there. He also called on the police and local government executive to remain vigilant.
Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, who had previously served as officer-charge of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office and as Bacolod police chief, acknowledged the all-out support of Guimaras officials, in making his job more easier, as the provincial police director, in the maintenance of peace and order.
Chief Supt. Federico Castro, executive officer of the PNP Directorate for Integrated Operations Visayas, said he noted that crime volume also increase, if development starts to seep into developed provinces, citing his experiences, as the provincial police director of the newly-created province of Zamboanga Sibugay.
Castro advised the police to be more active in their anti-criminality operations, and said development and progress will never be achieved if there is no stabilized peace and order.
Neptune Pittman, president of the Guimaras Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who spoke in behalf of business sector, said Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez expressed his desire to invest in Guimaras, because of the good business climate.
The joint signing of the IPSO hand-over to the Provincial Peace and Order Council was attended by Air Force Lt. Gen. Nicanor Vivar, AFP Central Command chief, Maj. Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero,3ID commanding general, Col. Eric Uchida,301st Infantry Brigade commander, and Rev. Fr. Dindo Rey Tesoro, who represented Jaro Bishop Angel Lagdameo.
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