The deployment of 88 civilian volunteers as militias in Eastern Samar would be a big boost to the Philippine Army’s campaign to end insurgency in two Samar provinces. Brig. Gen. Noel Vestuir, commander of the Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade (802nd IBde) said the new members of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) will augment the forces of three military battalions assigned in some parts of Samar and Eastern Samar provinces. ‘We have additional warm bodies that could be deployed to support our campaign of ending the local communist armed conflict. With additional men, we can now expand our operational reach, secure more communities, and implement more development projects in areas that were already cleared from the influence of the New People’s Army (NPA),’ Vestuir said in a phone interview Wednesday. Their basic military training completed on July 5 physically and mentally prepared the CAFGUs to perform their duties as members of the auxiliary force of government forces. Assigned to different patrol bases, they will form part of the Integrated Territorial Defense System (ITDS) in the cleared areas. The ITDS serves as a physical and psychological barrier against the expansion and recovery efforts of armed rebels. The deployment of auxiliary forces came more than a month after the transfer of the Army’s 802nd IBde from Leyte province to Eastern Samar. The brigade, which was based in Camp Downes in Ormoc City for more than two decades, was officially transferred to Borongan City in Eastern Samar to help meet the target of ending insurgency in Samar provinces within the year. With the addition of the 802nd IBde in Eastern Samar, all three brigades under the 8th Infantry Division are now operating in Samar Island. The 801st IBde is based in Hinabangan, Samar with operations covering some parts of Samar, Eastern Samar and the Pacific towns of Northern Samar province. Based in Catarman, Northern Samar, the 803rd IBde covers some areas in the northern part of Samar province and the rest of Northern Samar province. Areas under the newly transferred brigade are the nine towns in Samar province and 15 towns and one city in Eastern Samar province. Under the brigade are three battalions — the 46th Infantry Battalion in Calbiga town, 63rd IB in Basey town and 78th IB in Borongan City
Source: Philippines News Agency