From Negros island 500 Scout Rangers sent to Zamboanga

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines —  A total of 500 members of the elite 1st Scout Rangers Battalion has been pulled out from Negros Island Tuesday evening by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and sent to war-torn Zamboanga City.

Policemen, especially from the Regional Public Safety Battalion-Western Visayas, were also being prepared for possible deployment to augment government forces in that city.

Brigadier Gen. Francisco Patrimonio, 302nd Infantry Brigade commander, who led the send-off ceremony of the Scout Rangers at the Bacolod-Silay airport in Silay City, said the sudden departure of the unit was "very, very unexpected," considering that they were in the midst of anti-insurgency operations in central Negros.

Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz, Jr., Police Regional Office-6 director, said the preparations of personnel from the RPSB-6 were part of the contingency plan. "Part 'yun ng trabaho nila," he said.

Last Tuesday, a directive from the PNP national headquarters was sent to regional offices to prepare their forces in the event that violence will escalate in that part of Mindanao. "Usually, 'yung malapit sa conflict area, doon unang magpu-pull out ng tropa," Cruz said.

Lieutenant Col. Oriel Pangcog, 1st Scout Ranger Battalion commander, said his troops were still in combat and clearing operations in the hinterlands of Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental after a recent encounter with about 20 rebels. He was then informed on Monday to consolidate his troops for deployment to Zamboanga.

The 1st Scout Ranger Battalion, a national maneuver unit of the Philippine Army, has been stationed in Negros Island since 2008. The AFP dispatched an Air Force C130 cargo plane to pick up the Rangers from the Bacolod-Silay airport.

Patrimonio said, while he cannot say how long the soldiers will stay in Zamboanga, he believed that "this is a temporary abnormal situation which, hopefully, we can soon address with the arrival of additional government forces in that area."

Brigadier Gen. Arnold Quiapo, commander of the 301s Infantry Brigade, for his part, said no military troops from Panay Island have been slated for Zamboanga deployment.

Meanwhile, Cruz said there was no threat of a spill-over of the Zamboanga conflict into Region 6. However, PRO-6 was placed on heightened alert status in a bid to muster all available personnel, he added. (FREEMAN)