• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Maj. Gen. Marion Sison, commander of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, has ordered the 303rd Infantry Brigade (IB) in Negros Island to sustain the momentum and intensify their efforts against the remnants of the dismantled three guerilla fronts.
The Northern Negros Front as well as the Central Negros 1 and 2 reportedly still have about 20 remaining armed combatants.
The two other dismantled guerilla fronts – South East and South West Fronts – are within the area of operations of the 302nd Infantry Brigade.
Sison ordered the troops to put an end to the rebel remnants during his recent visit to the 303IB and the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) headquarters in Murcia town and Sagay City, respectively.
Last week, the 79IB soldiers figured in an encounter with remnants of the Northern Negros Front led by Roger Fabillar, alias Arnel Tapang, in Barangay Macasilao, Calatrava.
Fabilla, who has a bounty of P1 million for his arrest, is facing multiple murder cases in connection with the killing of civilians, especially in Calatrava, whom they accused as military informants.
During his visit to the 303IB headquarters, Sison also emphasized the dual roles of soldiers both as defenders of the nation and individuals guided by faith.
“Let us never forget that we are not only soldiers, but also individuals who serve with a higher purpose. Be disciplined in all your actions and always pray for guidance and protection,” he told the troops.
Sison conferred a Rock Island pistol to each of the five soldiers with exemplary contribution to the accomplishment of the 79IB mission that resulted in two major engagements with the rebel remnants in northern Negros. | GB
