Bacolod declared insurgency-free

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (ID), through the 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde), Police Regional Office (PRO)-6, and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)-6, inked a resolution on May 19 declaring Bacolod as insurgency-free following series of successful peace and order initiatives that helped improve the peace and security situation here.

The signing was held during the 2nd Quarter Regional Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center (RJPSCC) meeting held at the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) here.

The RJPSCC resolution specified the need for continuous collaboration among the security forces and the community to prevent the resurgence of any Communist Terrorist Group (CTG)-affiliated sectoral groups and to deter terrorism, and other organized crime activities in the city.

Major General Marion Sison, 3ID commander, urged all the security agencies to remain on guard and to deny any little chance of the New People’s Army (NPA) to recuperate in the city.

“Our competence as stewards of this region will be reflected by the performance of our respective units,” Sison said, adding that it shall be manifested in how the communities they are protecting trust them.

Sison noted that success shall be measured when the people they are serving grow and expand their skills, boosting productivity and economic progress under the bedrock of reliable regional security.

For his part, Brigadier General Orlando Edralin, 303rd IBde commander, attributed the milestone to the sincerity of the people to create an environment suitable for peace and development.

“Without the active participation of the people in the quest to have an insurgency-free community, this breakthrough would not be possible”, he said.

The city declared the NPA persona non-grata here in 2019.

Aside from the signing of the resolution, updates on the Internal Security Operations, Joint Enhance Military and Maritime Police Operations (JEMMPO), and the conduct of the Community Support Program were also presented during the meeting.