DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental — Colonel Noel Baluyan, commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade, has ordered two of its battalions and all Citizen’s Armed Forces Geographical Units (Cafgu) here to intensify its security patrols and continue its combat operations against the New People’s Army (NPA).
Baluyan’s order followed after the ambush of a police patrol car in Borangan City, Eastern Samar on Friday afternoon, December 13, 2019 where a policeman, two civilians and several others were injured in the attack.
READ: Civilian injured in rebel ambush in Samar rose to 12
Baluyan said government troops are on high alert during the Christmas season as December 26 is the 51st founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
“Every time they celebrate their anniversary, they will conduct tactical offensives to all AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and PNP (Philippine National Police) forces. We are all ready for that, “ Baluyan said.
He said they will continue to “conduct combat operations to avert enemy attacks and protect the civilians against NPA atrocities.”
Baluyan said the army and the police are in close coordination in Negros Oriental.
“Kung meron silang lakad or mag-operate sila (When they have other activities or when they operate) somewhere, we are always informed so that we will avoid misencounters… Or we will be informed of their activities so that we will be warned. We will do our part to complement their security operations to support our ISO (Internal Security Operation),” Baluyan said.
Baluyan also condemned the ambush in Samar and criticized the rebels for disregarding the safety of the civilians who were on board the police’s patrol car.
“These are the atrocities we are talking about. The terrorist groups would say that they are for human rights, that they are securing people. But what happened there [in Samar] when civilians were hurt? They still went ahead with the target even when they know that there were civilians,” Baluyan said in a mix of Filipino and English. / celr