Marcos confident insurgency in Northern Samar will end this year

BOODLE FIGHT President Marcos joins soldiers and local government officials in a boodle fight during his visit to the headquarters of the Philippine Army’s 803rd Infantry Brigade in Catarman, Northern Samar, on July 14. —PHOTO COURTESY OF TACLOBAN CITY MAYOR ALFRED ROMUALDEZ

TACLOBAN CITY—President Marcos has expressed confidence that the decadeslong insurgency problem in Eastern Visayas will end this year.

In a visit to Northern Samar last Friday, the President said he was informed by Armed Forces of the Philippines officials about their accomplishments against communist rebels in the region.

“I received a briefing on the success rate in dismantling insurgency fronts. And I was also given a very encouraging deadline. We hope to end all of the CTG (communist terrorist groups) fronts by the end of the year and that is the result of your good work,” he said.

Mr. Marcos, who shared a meal with government troops in a boodle fight—a military style of eating, where diners go around a long table filled with food that is served on banana leaves—commended the soldiers in the region, particularly those assigned in Northern Samar for their efforts in trying to stop the insurgency problem.

Poverty factor

The presence of the New People’s Army, the armed group of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has often been cited as among the factors why Northern Samar remains poor as investors shy away from investing in the place due to security concerns.

Mr. Marcos, who is the AFP’s commander in chief, hoped that his next visit to the province would be to declare Northern Samar as insurgency-free.

“The situation here has been good. I’m very, very impatient already to come back here and to be with you when we declare your area of operation clear of any CTG formations,” he said.

“And that will be a big, big blow to the enemy because they have always felt that Northern Samar is a place that they feel safe in,” he added.

The President challenged the Army’s 803rd Infantry Brigade (IB) to work harder to bring all communist rebels back into the fold of the law as he assured them of the government’s full support and assistance.

“That is the plan. This is how we are going to move forward but this is all founded, it is all based on the continuing good work that you put in every day,” he said.

Among those who attended the security briefing held inside the 803rd IB headquarters based in Catarman town were Maj. Gen. Camilo Ligayo, commanding general of the 8th Infantry Division; Brig. Gen. Efren Morados, commanding officer of the 803rd IB; Brig. Gen. Vincent Calanoga; and Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, cousin of the President who also serves as the chair of the Regional Peace and Order Council.

Stay on guard

Despite their accomplishments, Mr. Marcos reminded the 803rd IB not to be complacent in the fight against communist rebels in Northern Samar.

“You are still in Northern Samar, on the front line. Do not let your guard down. Continue to do what you have been doing because as I said, it has been successful, it has been effective and we can see that from the weakening of the enemy forces,” he said.

The 803rd IB has been instrumental in reducing the presence of communist rebels in the region, with the surrender of over 6,200 of its sympathizers and personalities, and the dismantling of two guerilla fronts in Northern Samar, the AFP had reported.

“We have seen the increase in the firearms that have been seized and also the personalities that have been neutralized. Let us continue that trend,” Mr. Marcos said. INQ