TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Sept 23 (PIA)—Ever since Bohol was declared insurgency-free, it has remained such and was never been otherwise. The clashes that occasionally break, are peace maintenance operations.
This sums up the assurance which both police and military authorities tasked to maintain the internal security operations here issued after the bloodiest encounter that ever happened in the year and two months of the administration of Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado.
No less than 302nd Infantry Brigade Deputy Commander Colonel Leeroy Daanton and Bohol Police Deputy for Operations Lieutenant Colonel Norman Nuez during the recent Bohol Peace and Security Presscon, who both assured the governor and Boholanos that Bohol is still insurgency free.
“The remnants of the local communist insurgents in Bohol have become inconsequential, they have lost the capacity to make an offensive,” bared Col Daanton, who physically represented the army unit under the general command of Brigadier General Joey Escanillas of the 3rd Infantry Division’s 302nd IB.
302nd IB, based in Tanjay City Negros Oriental has also tasked Task Group Bohol under Captain Jayrod Cabahug, to maintain the insurgency free status in Bohol.
On the other hand, Police LtCol Nuez of the Bohol Provincial Police Office reminded Boholanos that after the Bohol Party Committee was dismantled, “now there are barely six warm-bodies including armaments left, that, capability wise, they can not, they have no capacity to harass.”
Police authorities here bared that in its Periodic Status Reports (PSR) the rebel movement operating in Bohol has only 6 members left.
The police’s PSR is an ever-updated list of persons of interest which the police intelligence community keeps, and is like the army’s order of battle.
The assessment also came after the September 7 clash between armed communist terrorists in a three-hour running gun-battle which left 6 dissident terrorists dead and 7 high powered fire-arms recovered.
They have no more capacity to disturb the peace and police operations, Col. Daanton, who sat with Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado, police Lieutenant Colonel Norman Nuez, Bohol Provincial Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF ELCAC) coordinator Romeo Teruel and former national leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) who claimed as indigenous people’s rights advocate now surrenderee Datu Jumorillo “Datu Jumong” Guaynon said.
The latest clash is so far, the biggest bloody encounter that happened in Bohol after military and police authorities jointly declared Bohol insurgency free since February 2010.
Teruel, who sits to coordinate the local integration program, bared that since Aumentado assumed power, there have been five encounters, from December 28 in Barangay Baunos San Isidro, March 9, 2023 in Barangay Hanopol Balilihan, May 12, 2023 in Tabuan Antequera, July 10, 2023 in Dagohoy Bilar and last September 7, in Campagao Bilar.
To these, Col. Daanton said these encounters are all maintenance [of the insurgency-free status] operations, and the latest clash was the final blow that brought the rebels to a no fighting chance.
Moreover, Col Daanton reminded everyone that even with the maintenance of the peace operations that occasionally break out, there was no cancellation of the insurgency-free status in Bohol, as per record, the communist armed terrorists have no control of any of Bohol barangays.
In fact, LtCol. Nuez also reminded everyone that in the last five encounter that happened during Gov Aumentado’s term, all happened because the community, which used to provide harbor and cover to the rebels, are now themselves reporting the presence of the armed men.
It may be recalled that it was during the leadership of the governor’s father, the late Erico Aumentado when Bohol attained the insurgency free status.
The younger Aumentado, whom the authorities said keeps a high standard in Bohol’s insurgency-free, said that if Bohol really is insurgency-free, there has to be zero threat anymore.
But, since becoming insurgency-free then, it could be noted that it is only now that the communities have apparently had enough of the rebels and are more focused in helping in ending local communist armed conflict. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
