As a result of the relentless effort of the 203rd Infantry Brigade through various triad operations, three encounters against the Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs) were recorded, eight CTGs were neutralized, which were either killed, captured or surrendered, and six assorted firearms were recovered and one rebel group were dismantled earlier this year.
Deputy Brigade Commander, Col. Eric Guevarra of the 203rd Infantry Brigade, said in a Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas that among the armed groups under the Sub-Regional Military Area (SRMA) 4D of the Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee (STRPC) that they monitor in the province of Oriental Mindoro are the ICM [Ignacio Claveria Mangadia], KLG-MAV [Kilusang Larangan Guerilla-Mark Anthony Velasco], and GMT.
The army sees recurrence as a threat against the armed groups. Among the usual targets of the CTGs are the youth and students with little to no understanding of the CTGs’ mission, said Guevarra, adding that during the oil spill mishap last year, the CTGs also targeted the fisherfolk in the municipality of Pola.
“Ang threat po natin ngayon ay yung recurrence o pagbalik-loob sa armed groups. ‘Yon pong mga estudyante na mababa ang kaalaman yun po ang tinatarget nila usually. Prior naman po sa bayan ng Pola, ang fisherfolks naman po ang tinarget nila…ito po ay during the oil spill. Sinamantala po nila ang sitwasyon, inagitate nila ang mga tao doon. Pero sa tulong ng ating kasundaluhan, naging succesful po tayo sa pag-prevent at pag-hold sa isla ng Mindoro,” he said.
Guevarra also said that the CTGs are no longer executing tactical offensives, and can no longer go out of the main roads and barangays in the province because they are already contained by the army.
“Karamihan po kasi ng gawain nila kung sila ay mag e-execute ng tactical offensive ito ay pino-propaganda nila. Pinapalakas po nila ang confidence ng kanilang mga kasama at ito po ay isang form ng panlilinlang, dahil katotohanan ang datos na nakukuha natin— napakababa na po nila, mahinang mahina na po sila. Kung meron pa po di na ganun kalaki…mababang mababa na po dahil malaki na po ang ibinaba ng ating mga CTGs dito sa isla ng Mindoro,” he stressed.
[Most of their work is when they execute a tactical offensive, it is their propaganda, they strengthen the confidence of their comrades and this is a form of deception because the data we get is true– they are now very low, they are very weak. If there’s more, it’s not that big… it’s already low because the rebels’ numbers have dropped a lot on the island of Mindoro.]
Guevarra reiterated the Brigade’s campaign to defeat the rest of the armed groups and to achieve zero-presence of armed fighters on the island of Mindoro.
“Patuloy po ang ating campaign para magapi natin ang natitirang grupo kasi ang utos po satin ng higher headquarters ay i-zero ang presence ng armfighters dito kaya pilit po nating ibababa ito hanggang ma-achieve natin ito hanggang sa wala nang mananakot sa isla ng Mindoro,” he said.
Four municipalities in the province, including Puerto Galera, San Teodoro, Naujan, and Baco, were already declared insurgency-free. The Army Brigade will also declare the municipality of Victoria as insurgency-free on August 14, 2024. (AS/PIA MIMAROPA-Oriental Mindoro)
