AFP chief Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro inspects the destruction of firearms seized from NPA rebels during an event in Catbalogan City, Samar. (JOEY GABIETA/ INQUIRER VISAYAS)
CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar — The new chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines vowed to end the country’s insurgency problem within the six-year term of President Marcos Jr.
“Hindi pa siguro matatapos ang administration ni President Marcos, matatapos natin ito. (Before the administration of President Marcos ends, I believe we can end the insurgency problem),” said Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro during his visit to Camp Lukban, the headquarters of the 8th Infantry Division based here on Saturday (August 20).
Bacarro admitted they made the same vow during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte but failed to accomplish it.
He, however, stressed that the campaign against insurgency during the Duterte administration has significantly reduced the “power factor” of the rebels across the region.
Bacarro said they managed to reduce the number of communist rebels and their number of firearms.
When he assumed his post early this month, Bacarro said his “marching order” to all the division commanders down the line is to quell the insurgency problem and to “sustain” all the gains they have accomplished for the past months.
During his visit, Bacarro led the “decommissioning” of 65 firearms that were either surrendered or seized from members of the New People’s Army (NPA) from last year until this month.
He also offered a wreath to honor the 21 soldiers belonging to the 8th Infantry Division who were killed in an encounter with rebels since last year.
The 8th Infantry Division, currently under the command of Major Gen. Edgardo de Leon, covers the entire Eastern Visayas region which continues to battle the communist insurgency problem.
Among those present during the 34the founding anniversary of the 8th Infantry Division were Samar Gov. Sharee Ann Tan, several mayors of the province, and former Leyte governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla who represented his brother Gov. Carlos Jericho Petilla.