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ILOILO City – The Philippine Army has started forming a new battalion for Panay Island.
The 3rd Infantry Division is now scouting for non-commissioned officers who would form the backbone of the battalion, according to Major General Jon Aying, division commander.
Officers to be selected include sergeant major, sergeants, battalion staff down to platoon sergeants, squad leaders, and fire team leaders.
“After the graduation of our candidate soldiers — we now have 300 — we will deploy them,” said Aying.
Undersecretary Eduardo Año of the Department of the Interior and Local Government previously announced the plan to activate a new battalion in Panay in 2018 to go after the New People’s Army.
“We will align soldiers in other battalions so that the new battalion would not be totally manned by candidate soldiers. There will be balance in our various battalions and more or less they will have the same capabilities to secure both out internal and external defenses,” said Aying.
The government is bent on wiping out the rebels before 2018 is over, according to Año – former Armed Forces chief of staff – during a visit to Iloilo City on Nov. 28.
“Paano tayo makapag-usap if patuloy ang kanilang paninira at pagsusunog ng mga equipment,” said Año, referring to President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to stop the peace negotiations because the rebels’ offensive operations have not ceased.
He urged rebels to better surrender peacefully. The government has a reintegration program that includes housing and livelihood, he said./PN
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