299 policemen for deployment in former NPA controlled areas

From the Visayan Daily Star (Jun 3, 2024): 299 policemen for deployment in former NPA controlled areas (By GILBERT P. BAYORAN)

A total of 299 police officers are up for deployment in 17 selected barangays in Western Visayas, including Negros Occidental and highly urbanized Bacolod City, to prevent remnants of the New People’s Army from recovering lost territories, and to insulate unaffected areas from infiltration.

PMaj. Gen. Bernard Banac, head of the PNP Directorate for Police Community Relations and PBrig. Gen. Jack Wanky, regional police director of Western Visayas, led the sendoff ceremony for the 299 police non-commissioned officers on May 31 at Camp Martin Delgado in Iloilo City.

Six barangays in Negros Occidental, including four in Bacolod City, will be among the areas to where some of the 299 police personnel will be deployed by for the Revitalized – Pulis sa Barangay (RPSB) program of the PNP.

The RPSB program was implemented to sustain the gains of the Community Support Program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Retooled Community Support Program of the local government units.

PLt. Col. Arnel Solis, regional police spokesman, disclosed that the RPSB program aims to prevent the resurgence of insurgency, insulate unaffected communities from the recovery efforts of the communist terrorist group, assist the communities address their peculiar concerns, and facilitate in availing the basic services of the government they need.

This also developed as the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division prepares for the eventual declaration of Negros Occidental as having in a status of Stable Internal Peace and Security, following the dismantling of all five NPA guerilla fronts in Negros Island.

In a statement, Wanky emphasized the need for the 299 PNP personnel to extend their best services to the community where they are deployed.

The 299 RPSB personnel underwent a 12-day stringent training program before their deployment in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) and in selected urban barangays.*

https://visayandailystar.com/299-policemen-for-deployment-in-former-npa-controlled-areas/