Army commander assures presence in Leyte despite troops’ deployment to Mindanao

HINABANGAN, Samar, June 7 (PNA) -– A top military official in Eastern Visayas assured the continuing Army presence in Leyte province despite the recent transfer of the 19th Infantry Battalion (IB) to North Cotabato.

Maj. Gen Velarmino, commander of the Army’s 8th Infantry Division based in Catbalogan City in Samar, said that the pull out of troops was in response to the order from higher officials to augment troops in conflict-stricken Mindanao provinces.

“Although we transferred them to Mindanao, that doesn’t mean that we will leave the northern part of Leyte. I assigned two units of reconnaissance team from Samar and Division Headquarters to occupy the vacated area of 19th IB,” Velarmino told reporters.

Velarmino assured insurgency situation in Leyte is manageable considering that most of the towns covered have been declared as rebel-free.

The absence of 19th IB will not also affect the on-going activity of the government to declare areas in Leyte as insurgency-free, according to the commander.

“It was only stopped due to election, but we will continue it again with the assessment of Leyte province,” he added.

Prior to the transfer, the Army has declared 17 towns under the jurisdiction of the unit as insurgency-free. These are the towns of Matag-ob, Merida, Palompon, Tabango, Barugo, Babatngon, San Miguel, Leyte, Pastrana, Tolosa, Dagami, Calubian, Sta. Fe, Alangalang, Tunga, Carigara and Palo.

The 19th IB based in Kananga town with 400 soldiers, including their officials left the province on May 29, 2016.

Sending the unit to Mindanao shows that Leyte insurgency situation is more manageable than in Samar provinces, according to Velarmino.

The battalion covers the northern part of Leyte and Biliran province. The southern part of Leyte is under the 78th Infantry Battalion stationed in Burauen, Leyte.

Velarmino added that sending troops to Mindanao is also part of their battalion retraining.

“If they were not pulled out they would be non-operational by August 1. They are currently undergoing battalion re-training in Carmen, North Cotabato before their assignment to the 6th Infantry Division,” Velarmino added.

The official is still unsure when the 19th IB will be re-assigned to Leyte again.

The battalion is the second unit of the 8th Infantry Division moved to Mindanao to help in the peacekeeping effort.

In 2009, top Army officials deployed the 46th Infantry Battalion from Samar province to Mindanao after the Maguindanao massacre. The battalion is now in Pantukan, Compostela Valley after its assignment in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao.

This is not the first time that the 19th IB was deployed in Mindanao. From 1974 to 1979, the unit was sent to Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur. In 2001 to 2002, the battalion was assigned in Sulu and Zamboanga City. (PNA)

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