Military on alert in ZamboSur

By Jong Cadion

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur (February 4, 2017) - "So far we are on alert status and we are only waiting for further directives from the general headquarters of the AFP after President Rodrigo Duterte lifted the ceasefire between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the New People’s Army (NPA)," Col. Vergelio Hamos, Jr., Commanding Officer of 53rd Infantry Battalion told CNN Ph in a mobile phone interview.

Col. Hamos disclosed that his Area of Responsibility (AOR) is still okay and the government troops were still on control.

The 53rd IB of the Army's Premier Infantry (Tabak) Division based in the town of Guipos, Zamboanga del Sur whose AOR is the entire province including Pagadian City and except the municipality of Bayog of this province.

Military identified 12 municipalities of San Miguel, Lapuyan, Kumalarang, Tigbao, Lakewood, Bayog, Guipos, Midsalip, Molave, Josefina, Dumingag and Tambulig that has influence by the CPP-NPA during the year 90s and early 2000 but due to intensified counter insurgency measures conducted by the Tabak Troopers it was reduced to seven (7) municipalities of San Miguel, Lapuyan, Bayog, Lakewood, Midsalip, Dumingag and Josefina. These municipalities are in the watch list, Col. Hamos said.

It was recalled that on 2015 the military together with that provincial local government declared the province as insurgency free and ready to any further development.

In the recent assessment from the scale of one to ten the influence of NPA is at three, Col. Hamos disclosed.