By Jennifer P. Rendon
The Philippine Army in Panay favors the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)’s plan to scuttle a holiday ceasefire with communist rebels.
Brigadier General Marion Sison, 301st Infantry Brigade commander, said the Army in Panay has been gaining headway in its internal security operations (ISO) campaign.
“Mas maganda nga sana na walang ceasefire para hindi sila (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army) mabigyan ng time and space to prepare an attack against the government,” he said.
In the past, Sison said that rebels took the opportunity to prepare for their logistics and do massive recruitment during ceasefires.
“Yan kasi ang mga time na back to barracks na ang ating mga kasundaluhan at kapulisan. So, they are given the freedom to gather their personnel and logistics for them to recoup their strength,” he said.
Sison said that they do not want to give the rebels space and scuttle the peace in Panay Island.
On Thursday, AFP spokesperson Major General Edgard Arevalo said they will not recommend the declaration of Holiday truce with rebels claiming the alleged “incapacity for sincerity and for being unfaithful to a covenant” of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing New People’s Army.
Earlier, the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division said it is targeting to end the New People’s Army in the region by end of 2020 or the first quarter of 2021.
Major Cenon Pancito, 3rd ID spokesperson, said the target is possible given that only 81 of the 4,051 barangays in the region are rebel-affected.
Forty-seven of these rebel-affected barangays are in Panay Island while 34 are in Negros Occidental.
Pancito clarified that there are still several barangays that they also need to clear of rebel-infestation in Negros Oriental province and other provinces, which are under the 3ID area of responsibility.
By neutralizing, Pancito explained they hoped to clear the area of the presence of rebel “fronts.”
