Military train militiamen to assist in counterinsurgency campaign

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 14): Military train militiamen to assist in counterinsurgency campaign

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur –- The military have boosted its strength by recruiting 100 militiamen to assist them in the peace-keeping missions in this province.

The newly recruited militiamen have undergone 15-day training at Camp Major David Sabido that houses the headquarters of the 53rd Infantry Battalion in the nearby town of Guipos.

They were trained by the 5th Infantry Battalion personnel, which is in charge of the militiamen in this province.

Lt. Col. Alvin Luzon, 53rd Infantry Battalion, on Monday told the Philippines News Agency that the newly-trained militiamen have recently rendered combat duty before they were deployed back to their respective places.

“They were sent to the field to apply the theories they’ve learned in the classroom,” Luzon said.

Luzon said the militiamen will assist them in the counter insurgency operations in their respective places of assignments.

He said that the militiamen, being territorial forces, are of big help to the military in the campaign against the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=837791