ANGELES CITY- The army’s 702nd infantry brigade commemorated recently its 21st anniversary with an assertion that it is on track in crushing the New People’s Army (NPA) in the provinces of Aurora and Nueva Ecija.
Col. Felicito Trinidad Jr., commander of the 702nd IB, noted that since last June, his troopers have seized 15 assorted high powered arms from NPA rebels operating in the two provinces. These arms were displayed during the brigade’s anniversary celebration last Sept. 1 in its headquarters in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija.
“As we heightened our campaign at the start of second semester this year, we were fortunate to have accomplished much this far. I am privileged to take off from what has been accomplished by the past leadership of the brigade, my immediate predecessor, Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista,” Trinidad said.
He attributed the military’s success in the anti-insurgency campaign partly to “the help extended by the local government executives, the cooperation of the people in the far-flung barangays who themselves denounce the atrocities perpetrated by the communist terrorists, and also to rebel returnees who demonstrated sincerity in returning to the fold of the law by relaying essential information that led to the successful conduct of military operations”.
Maj. Gen. Ralph Villanueva, commander of the army’s 7th infantry division based in Fort Magsaysay in Palayan City in Nueva Ecija, urged the soldiers under the 702nd IB “to continue with the commendable performance.”
“We will not stop until we deliver the final blow in order to finally annihilate the NPA bandits sowing terror in the countryside. Our people deserve the peace that they longed for; we will be the catalyst to bring peace and development in the countryside,” he said in a press release issued by the 702nd IB.
Villanueva also said that “while we continue to relentlessly pursue those armed rebels through combat operations, we are still open for those who want to choose the path of peace and live normal life under the fold of the law. The government will welcome them and reintegrate them to mainstream society through the Social Integration Program.”
Col. Felicito Trinidad Jr., commander of the 702nd IB, noted that since last June, his troopers have seized 15 assorted high powered arms from NPA rebels operating in the two provinces. These arms were displayed during the brigade’s anniversary celebration last Sept. 1 in its headquarters in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija.
“As we heightened our campaign at the start of second semester this year, we were fortunate to have accomplished much this far. I am privileged to take off from what has been accomplished by the past leadership of the brigade, my immediate predecessor, Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista,” Trinidad said.
He attributed the military’s success in the anti-insurgency campaign partly to “the help extended by the local government executives, the cooperation of the people in the far-flung barangays who themselves denounce the atrocities perpetrated by the communist terrorists, and also to rebel returnees who demonstrated sincerity in returning to the fold of the law by relaying essential information that led to the successful conduct of military operations”.
Maj. Gen. Ralph Villanueva, commander of the army’s 7th infantry division based in Fort Magsaysay in Palayan City in Nueva Ecija, urged the soldiers under the 702nd IB “to continue with the commendable performance.”
“We will not stop until we deliver the final blow in order to finally annihilate the NPA bandits sowing terror in the countryside. Our people deserve the peace that they longed for; we will be the catalyst to bring peace and development in the countryside,” he said in a press release issued by the 702nd IB.
Villanueva also said that “while we continue to relentlessly pursue those armed rebels through combat operations, we are still open for those who want to choose the path of peace and live normal life under the fold of the law. The government will welcome them and reintegrate them to mainstream society through the Social Integration Program.”
