• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Army’s 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division renewed its commitment to sustain peace and development in Western and Central Visayas.
“Let’s embrace 2025 as a year to build on our successes and complete our work toward a peaceful and progressive Western and Central Visayas. 2024 proved that unity brings success, and I am confident we can achieve even greater things this year,” Major General Marion Sison, 3ID commander, said in a statement.
Sison reported that the 3ID demonstrated its capacity to achieve success in its focused military operations in 2024, amidst numerous challenges, which he also attributed to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
Last year, the 3ID engaged in 63 encounters, including 11 major and 48 minor engagements, resulting in the neutralization of 116 NPA rebels, where 47 died in gunbattles, while 69 others either surrendered or were captured.
In the same period,145 firearms were seized, Sison said.
The 3ID counter insurgency operations, which were supported by stakeholders, significantly weakened the NPA terrorist organization, with the dismantling of three more guerrilla fronts and disrupting their urban support network.
As a result, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Antique were declared as Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) areas, the Army general further said.*
