Army officials on Monday urged the public to avoid electing candidates supporting communist groups during the upcoming Barangay and Sannguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE). Lt. Col. Terence Ylanan, the Army's 53rd Infantry Battalion (53IB) commander, said they reiterated the reminder after learning that a certain candidate in Dumingag town, Zamboanga del Sur, allegedly giving sanctuary to remnants of a New Peoples Army (NPA) unit operating in the area. Ylanan said the area's last six NPA remnants were monitored in the hinterlands of neighboring Zamboanga del Norte, hiding from the authorities after the military managed to cripple the group's recruitment drive. Villagers, he said, must help the military put an end to the NPA's extortion and harassment in the area, and not to allow their supporters to hold seats in the government. "With such actions, the voter-parents could truly secure their children from being recruited to be among the rebels holding firearms," Ylanan said. Said village is located in the boundaries of Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte, with little to no access to the town center, and was a haven for the rebels in the past years, Ylanan said. The village's road was prioritized and provided funding by the local government to address the problem through the intensified campaign against the communist rebels in July 2020. The 53IB also provided a medical and dental mission with the Dumingag local government. Support for BSKE security Meanwhile, the Army's 4th Infantry Division (4ID) also committed to assist the Commission on Election in Northern Mindanao for the peaceful conduct of the BSKE. "I will assure everybody, on behalf of Army units from 1st, 4th, and 10th Infantry Divisions, we will remain strong and dependable solid partners that support when it comes to the activity this coming October 30, 2023," Maj. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo II, 4ID commander, said. Cuerpo also said the 4ID will intensify its combat and intelligence effort so that the NPA and other "peace spoilers will not "be able to take advantage of this important event."
Source: Philippines News Agency
