• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade and 94th Infantry Battalion were given recognition by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for the dismantling of the New People’s Army Central Negros 2 guerilla front.
During the ceremony held at Camp Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Jan. 15, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., assisted by Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and AFP chief of staff Romeo Brawner Jr., conferred the campaign streamer to 303IB led by Brig. Gen. Orlando Edralin and 94IB commanded by Lt. Col. Van Donald Almonte for their successful peace campaign in central Negros.
During the AFP anniversary on Dec. 21, the 303IB and 62nd Infantry Battalion also received similar awards for the dismantling of Central Negros 1 guerilla front.
The South West Front was recently added to the list of dismantled guerilla fronts in Negros Island.
Two other guerilla fronts, the Northern Negros Front and South East Front, were both declared dismantled by the AFP a few years back.
In a statement, Edralin expressed his gratitude to the AFP’s leadership for recognizing the relentless efforts of the Philippine Army in Negros in ending the decades-long insurgency.
“This award is also a triumph for all Negrenses who have been our partners in all our endeavors, and also a testament to our genuine commitment to end the local communist armed conflict in Negros Island. We will continue our efforts until Negros Island is declared insurgency-free,” he added. | GB
