Army focuses anti-insurgency drive in Iloilo’s first district

By: Jennifer P. Rendon

The Philippine Army’s 61st Infantry Battalion will focus its anti-insurgency campaign on Iloilo’s first district.

Lieutenant Colonel Joel Benedict Batara, 61st IB commander, said the heightened military drive is meant to deny members of the New People’s Army (NPA) to conduct recovery efforts in parts of Southern Panay.

“There might be efforts on their part to recruit because of their dwindling numbers. They would try to recover areas that they have lost because of our relentless efforts,” Batara said.

In Iloilo, the 61st IB is focusing its sight on the towns of Miag-ao, San Joaquin, and Igbaras.

Batara said these areas are where frequent sightings of suspected NPA rebels were reported.

“These areas are also the passageway in going to the towns of San Remigio, Hamtic, and Sibalom in Antique province,” he said.

Batara said they will not give the rebels a chance to recover communities, which they used to consider as their stronghold areas.

“Kapag kasi may nangyayaring encounter, these are the towns that they used to run to,” he said.

Batara said they are working to have the three Iloilo towns to form their respective Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC).

The creation of TF ELCAC is one of the mandates of Executive Order No. 70 or the “Institutionalizing the Whole-Of-Nation Approach in Attaining Inclusive and Sustainable Peace, Creating A National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, and Directing the Adoption of A National Peace Framework.”

EO 70 aims to institutionalize the “Whole-of-Nation Approach” in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace.

Since EO 70 is about the convergence of all efforts of government agencies in a bid to end insurgency, task forces and sub-task forces were created for the purpose.

Through mechanisms under EO 70, several task forces were created like the Task Force ELCAC.

In Iloilo, six towns already adopted its own ELCAC.

Batara identified these towns as Alimodian, Calinog, Janiuay, Maasin, Lambunao, and Tubungan.

But Batara hoped that other towns in the province would also adopt its own ELCAC soon.