New Army battalion eyed to fight NPA in Panay

ILOILO CITY — Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Eduardo Año on Tuesday talked of a plan to activate a new battalion in Panay to continuously go after the New People’s Army in the island.

“We need the unity of different sectors. Once and for all, let us end this,” he stressed in a media interview after his visit to the wake of slain Police Officer I Joeffel Odon who died in a recent NPA ambush in Maasin, Iloilo.

Currently, they are working to fast track the pull out of the Philippine Army’s 82nd Infantry Battalions (IB) deployed to Marawi City during the conflict. The battalion is based in Miagao, Iloilo.

Colonel Pio Diñoso, commanding officer of the Philippine Army’s 301st Infantry Brigade (3rd Infantry Division) based in Dingle, Iloilo, said that they are currently expediting the activation of the new battalion.

“We have a lot of candidate soldiers who will undergo training so we could create the additional battalion,” he said in a media interview.

Diñoso expressed hope that the new battalion will be organized early next year.

Año said that they would also provide additional training and equipment to the troops of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) of the Police Regional Office (PRO-6) to improve their skills and perform better.

He added that they would also review the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), tactics, procedures and techniques of the Philippine National Police personnel in Western Visayas to improve their skills in dealing with incidents like NPA ambush and clash.  (PNA)

Popular

Taal Lake site assessment yields sack containing ‘bones’ — DOJ

By Brian Campued The Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed that authorities retrieved a sack containing burned remains believed to be human bones during the initial...

LTO integrates online driver’s license renewal system in eGovPH app

By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has integrated the online driver’s license renewal in the eGovPH app, which ensures a fast and...

5 of 21 Filipinos in Houthi-hit ship in Red Sea rescued — DFA

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora and Marita Moaje | Philippine News Agency Five of the 21 Filipino seafarers manning the cargo vessel Eternity C, which...

PBBM directs gov’t officials: Focus on work, avoid politicking

By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet At the Malacañang press briefing this Wednesday, July 9, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press officer Claire Castro reiterated...