• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Forty-nine officers and enlisted personnel of the Philippine Army assigned in Negros Island have been honored for gallantry by the Armed Forces of the Philippines Visayas Command (Viscom).
Viscom chief Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo led the conferment of medals, in the presence of Brig. Gen. Orlando Edralin, commander of 303rd Infantry Brigade, in rites held Tuesday at Camp Major Nelson Gerona in Barangay Minoyan, Murcia, Negros Occidental.
The recipients are soldiers assigned at the 94th, 79th and 15th Infantry Battalions.
Some 13 of them received Gold Cross Medals, 13 others were bestowed Silver Cross Medals, 14 got Military Merit Medals, five received Gawad sa Kaunlaran Medals, and five more obtained Parangal sa Kapanalig ng Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas Medals and Ribbons.
In a statement, Lt. Col. J-Jay Javines, public affairs head of 3rd Infantry Division, said the awards accorded by Arevalo were in recognition of the gallantry of troops during the successful combat operations in Negros Island against the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army.
In the fourth quarter alone, 11 significant engagements were recorded in Western and Central Visayas, including the recent clash between the 94IB and rebels in Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City on Nov. 8, and the encounter between 15IB and the South West Front at Sitio Cambaga, Barangay Yao-Yao, Cauayan, on Nov. 7.
The 3ID also neutralized 13 NPA remnants, of which four died in encounters, while 67 others surrendered to the different infantry units.
A total of 20 high-powered firearms and two low-powered guns were also recovered.
The 303rd and 302nd Infantry Brigades in Negros Island got the most number of successful encounters in the Visayas region, according to reports of Viscom. | GB
