Catanduanes winning over insurgency

From the Manila Bulletin (Nov 24): Catanduanes winning over insurgency

After almost two decades of battling communist insurgents, military and local authorities yesterday declared Catanduanes province as “conflict manageable and ready for further development.”

Major Angelo Guzman, spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)-Southern Luzon Command (Solcom), said Catanduanes used to be a happy and peaceful island until the mid-1990s when  the New People’s Army (NPA) came in, recruited and armed some 200 members, and then influenced around 100 barangays (villages) in the province.

Guzman said continuous efforts by the AFP to rid the province of insurgency proved successful as the NPA’s strength in Catanduanes is now down to 27. Also, all 100 barangays have been declared free from NPA influence as of the second quarter this year, he added.

Yesterday, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio P. Catapang, Jr. flew in to Catanduanes to witness the formal handover of the internal peace and security responsibilities to the provincial government.

A simple ceremony was held at the the provincial capitol in Virac where 9th Infantry Division (9ID) Commander Maj. Gen. Yerson E. Depayso and Catanduanes Governor Araceli B. Wong signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) declaring Catanduanes as “conflict manageable and ready for further development”.

Maj. Gen. Ricardo R. Visaya, Solcom commander; Catanduanes Rep. Cesar V. Sarmiento; Bishop Manolo A. delos Santos D.D., of the Diocese of Virac; Senior Superintendent Adelio Benjamin G. Castillo, Police Provincial Office (PPO) director; and Vice Gov. Jose J. Teves, Jr. were present to witness the event.

Guzman recalled how the AFP won Catanduanes from the jaws of insurgency.

“Various Army units were deployed to carry out the campaign. In 2010, the newly organized 83rd Infantry Battalion (83rdIB) was deployed and assumed the internal peace and security responsibility,” he stated.

Catanduanes is the first of six provinces in Bicol to be declared as “Conflict Manageable and Ready for further Development.”

http://www.mb.com.ph/catanduanes-winning-over-insurgency/