Negros to get SAF troopers

From the Visayan Daily Star (Dec 15): Negros to get SAF troopers

Negros Occidental is getting an additional company of elite Special Action Force troopers, regional police spokesperson Supt. Joel Malong said yesterday.

But Malong said they have no idea yet as to the date of the arrival of the SAF troopers in Negros Occidental.

At present, there are three SAF companies being supervised by 6 th Special Action Battalion of the PNP stationed in northern Negros, who assist the internal security operation of the Army’s 303 rd Infantry Brigade.

A company-sized SAF unit is composed of 80 to 100 personnel.

The deployment of more troops in Negros was contained in Memorandum Circular No. 32 issued by Malacañang to suppress the “growing violence and acts of terror”, of the New People’s Army in Negros Island.

The Philippine Army is also set to add more troops in Negros, although it had established earlier a tactical command post of the Bohol-based 302 nd Infantry Brigade in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental.

In line with the 50 th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines, the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office also placed its maneuver forces on heightened alert for any possible tactical engagement with the New People’s Army that has been ordered to escalate attacks on government and prized civilian targets.

Police stations were also placed in active defense posture to strengthen defenses against communist rebels’ attacks.

PNP chief Oscar Albayalde said in a statement that the order of CPP founding chairman Joma Sison to its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA) exposed anew the culture of lies, deception and violence of the aging underground movement in its 50-year rebellion to wrest power from government.

Albayalde added that the CPP-NPA has found a convenient excuse in the Congressional approval of the martial law extension in Mindanao as reason to stage further hostilities against government and civilian targets, even as it declared earlier the 5-day yuletide ceasefire to trick government into reciprocating the CPP/NPA a farce and a sham gesture of goodwill.

While the PNP maintains a stiff and decisive stance against the CPP-NPA, Albayalde said they are keeping the doors open to all rebels who were deceived by the false promise of a just society under communist rule, and now want to lead normal lives with their families.

The government is offering a life-changing opportunity for individual rebel returnees through a livelihood package with added compensation for surrendered firearms under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program or E-CLIP, the strategic flagship program to pursue the government’s peace and development agenda, he added.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2018/December/15/topstory6.htm