78th IB out, Task Group Cebu in

CEBU, Philippines - There will be no changes in the deployment of police and military personnel in the Province of Cebu despite the pullout of the 78th Infantry Battalion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) this month.

This was assured by Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) director, Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, Jr. at the weekly Tapok-Tapok sa Sugbo Media Forum at NS Pension yesterday.

Comendador said that the deployment of police and army personnel will be assumed by the Task Group Cebu that will replace the army battalion.

Lt. Col. Christopher Tampus, spokesman of the AFP-Central Command, earlier confirmed the transfer of 78th IB from Cebu to Leyte province this month.

He said that as a fighting unit, the 78th IB should be placed in an area where there is an armed threat. Cebu was declared insurgency-free in 2010 by the military following the all-out war launched by Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

The pullout had long been planned as part of the AFP’s target of achieving peace in the Visayas by 2016, said Tampus.

The Task Group Cebu that will replace 78th IB is composed of personnel from the 7th Regional Community Defense Group, Police Regional Office-7, Naval Forces Central and the 2nd Air Division.

There is already a task group organized in the provinces of Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor following the pullout of 78th IB.

The Centcom earlier expressed confidence that no member of the New People’s Army has entered provinces of Cebu and Bohol following report of its plan to return to Cebu.

After Cebu was declared insurgency-free, the AFP then turned over the role in maintaining the internal security to its local executives and the police.

Garcia had declared an all-out war against the rebel movement and has helped in quelling it by providing rewards and livelihood to the rebel returnees.

The said program gave rebel returnees chances to start anew with livelihood assistance of P35,000 given by the Provincial Government.  (FREEMAN)