BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Department of Interior and Local Government is encouraging other barangay chairpersons in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, to activate their respective Barangay Task Force – Ending Local Armed Communist Armed Conflict (BTF-ELCAC), as part of the “Whole-Of-Nation Approach” to win peace.
This comes after Guihulngan Local Government Operation Officer Maridel Gamo lauded the activation of BTF-ELCAC in villages of Planas, Buenavista and Magsaysay, as well as their residents, in support of the attainment of peace and progress in their respective areas.
Two NPA combatants recently died in renewed armed skirmishes with Army soldiers in Brgy. Buenavista and Planas, both in Guihulngan City.
In a statement, Gamo said that the 62nd Infantry Battalion has been doing well in confronting the insurgent armed component.
Guihulngan City Mayor Filomeno Reyes, in a separate statement, assured his constituents that there is no need to fear, apparently referring to the numerous encounters in hinterlands.
“Everything is under control by our law enforcement authorities,” Reyes said, stressing that they are well prepared and are highly-trained to handle those situations.
What is happening now is a series of legitimate operations and countermeasures employed by our AFP and PNP, whose training has always been focused on protecting the people and upholding their rights, the mayor stressed.
Reyes called on his constituents to remain supportive to government troops by helping them perform their duty with ease.*
