HONORED. Members of Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit Active Auxiliaries are honored in an activity on Monday (Dec. 28, 2020) at the headquarters of the Army's 3rd Special Forces Battalion of the Army in Lianga, Surigao del Sur. Tribal leaders and local officials attended the event. (Photo courtesy of 3SFBn)
BUTUAN CITY – The Army’s 3rd Special Forces Battalion (3SFBn) recognized the contributions of the Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) Active Auxiliaries (CAAs) in an activity conducted Monday (Dec. 28) at the unit’s headquarters in St. Christine, Lianga, Surigao del Sur.
“We would like to honor the CAAs this Yuletide season because we believe that they are the brave men and women and the unsung heroes in our fight against all forms of threat to our national security,” said Lt. Col. Joey B. Baybayan, 3SFBn commander, in a statement Monday.
Baybayan said the CAAs are instrumental in the campaign to end local communist armed conflict and are the "formidable force "that strengthens and sustains the Integrated Territorial Defense System (ITDS) and Barangay Self Defense Units (BSDU) that prevent the communist New People’s Army (NPA) from "infiltrating" vulnerable indigenous peoples (IP) communities in Surigao del Sur.
“Just like the soldiers, our CAFGU brothers and sisters, who are mostly IPs, also risk their lives not solely because of the allowance they receive but for their sincerest dream to end the communist NPA terrorists from exploiting and corrupting their tribal culture and tradition in Surigao del Sur,” Baybayan said.
He noted that the CAFGU members are also at the forefront of many humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and security operations in Surigao del Sur--as seen during the recent Tropical Depression Vicky and the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
“Long before there were Covid-19 front-liners, there were already CAAs as front-liners in all aspects of peace, order, and security,” Baybayan said.
IP leaders in the area, including Lianga tribal chieftain Datu Constancio Duhac and Datu Alexander Bucales, the newly-installed IP Mandatory Representative (IPMR) in the town, also joined Monday's activity, along with Lianga Mayor Novelita Sarmen.
“The family members of our CAFGUs were also present and received gifts and other support from the Army and the LGU,” 1Lt. Krisjuper Andreo J. Punsalan, 3SFBn civil-military operations officer, told the Philippine News Agency. (PNA)
