(PNA file photo)
BACOLOD CITY – The Philippine Army in Negros Island will sustain security operations during the holidays but hopes that more communist rebels will surrender so they can celebrate the season with their families.
"There is no advice for SOMO (suspension of offensive military operations). We will continue our regular security operations," Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde) based in Murcia, Negros Occidental, told reporters here on Thursday.
Pasaporte urged members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) to take the Christmas season as an opportunity to return to the fold of the law.
“My invitation to them is to go back to their families and abandon the armed struggle. In Negros, the people no longer support them,” he added.
Pasaporte said the communist rebels in Negros no longer stay in one place, but troops of the 303IBde will continue to pursue them to ensure there will be no atrocities during the holidays, particularly on Dec. 26, the 54th founding anniversary of the CPP.
"Before, when they celebrate they mount attacks, but now it seems they cannot do that since they are always on the run because of the continuous operations of our units," he added.
In the past two months, the NPA Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros suffered major blows after two of their top leaders were killed in separate encounters with government troops in central Negros.
On Oct. 10, Romeo Nanta, also known as “Juanito Magbanua”, the commanding officer of the Regional Operational Command of the NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, and spokesperson of the Apolinario Gatmaitan Command, died in Sitio Medel, Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City.
The body of Ericson Acosta, the NPA's first deputy secretary for Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor and head of the Political Unified Committee in the Visayas, was found after a clash with soldiers in Sitio Makilo, Barangay Camansi, Kabankalan City early morning of Nov. 30. (PNA)
"There is no advice for SOMO (suspension of offensive military operations). We will continue our regular security operations," Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde) based in Murcia, Negros Occidental, told reporters here on Thursday.
Pasaporte urged members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) to take the Christmas season as an opportunity to return to the fold of the law.
“My invitation to them is to go back to their families and abandon the armed struggle. In Negros, the people no longer support them,” he added.
Pasaporte said the communist rebels in Negros no longer stay in one place, but troops of the 303IBde will continue to pursue them to ensure there will be no atrocities during the holidays, particularly on Dec. 26, the 54th founding anniversary of the CPP.
"Before, when they celebrate they mount attacks, but now it seems they cannot do that since they are always on the run because of the continuous operations of our units," he added.
In the past two months, the NPA Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros suffered major blows after two of their top leaders were killed in separate encounters with government troops in central Negros.
On Oct. 10, Romeo Nanta, also known as “Juanito Magbanua”, the commanding officer of the Regional Operational Command of the NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, and spokesperson of the Apolinario Gatmaitan Command, died in Sitio Medel, Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City.
The body of Ericson Acosta, the NPA's first deputy secretary for Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor and head of the Political Unified Committee in the Visayas, was found after a clash with soldiers in Sitio Makilo, Barangay Camansi, Kabankalan City early morning of Nov. 30. (PNA)
