NEW COMMANDER. Brig. Gen. Eric Vinoya, acting commander of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, says on Tuesday (Nov. 12, 2019) that the troops will work hard to attain the period set to free the areas under its responsibility from insurgency. Vinoya has formally assumed the top post of the 3ID, replacing Maj. Gen. Dinoh Dolina who retired from the military service. (PNA photo by Gail Momblan)
CAMP PERALTA, Jamindan, Capiz -- The new acting commander of the Philippine Army's 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) has guaranteed on Tuesday that government troops will work hard to end insurgency within the target set for areas under the division.
Brig. Gen. Eric Vinoya is now the acting commander of the 3ID, replacing Maj. Gen. Dinoh Dolina, who bowed out from military service, during the change of command and retirement ceremony held here.
In an interview with the media, Vinoya bared his plans particularly on the government's thrust to end the local communist armed conflict. He said the March 2020 target to free Panay island is possible.
"Of course, that is the target. We will do our best to attain that and achieve the 2020 deadline," Vinoya said.
Being the commander of the Task Force Negros, he said there are parts of the island that are aimed to be cleared from insurgency "this yearend, and the others in March 2020."
Having served as the assistant division commander of the 3ID, he said he was able to see first-hand the division-wide situation and is well-aware of the unit’s efforts and accomplishments.
During his speech, Vinoya noted that there are still seven fronts and 87 villages to be cleared from the rebels.
He added that the Army needs the support of the stakeholders in attaining insurgency-free status in areas covered by the division.
The active engagement of stakeholders is also backed by Executive Order 70 or the whole-of-nation approach in ending insurgency.
"Our timeline in ending the local communist armed conflict is by the end of President's term which is less than three years from now. We must be more aggressive, proactive, and purposive in our efforts," he said.
The acting division commander also challenged local chief executives to spearhead the efforts against rebels in their respective government units.
He said that good governance is the key to end insurgency, thus mayors and governors should "do their part in ending the local communist armed conflict by ensuring that their mandate is carried out as expected".
He added the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army only has two options: to surrender and live peacefully or to die for the wrong principles.
"If you don't surrender, expect more combat encounters in the next few weeks as all military units in the area of responsibility will be utilized to hunt you and hit you very hard," he warned.
"To save your life, you (rebels) still have the chance to leave the armed movement and go back to the folds of law enjoying the true freedom and different government basic services together with your loved ones," he said.
Before his service to the 3ID, Vinoya has held significant positions.
Among those is his service as the 28th commander of the 403rd Infantry Brigade (403rd IBde). During his stint as 403rd IBde commander, the brigade facilitated the declaration of the province of Bukidnon as conflict manageable and ready for further development.
Vinoya is a member of the Philippine Military Academy "Hinirang" Class of 1987. (PNA)
