82IB marks first year of fight vs insurgency in Southern Panay
More than the armed conflicts, the 82nd Infantry (Bantay Laya) Battalion based in Camp Monteclaro, Miag-ao, Iloilo marked the first year of its inception with numerous activities for peace to prevail all over Southern Panay.
As an offshoot of these series of activities, 82IB commanding officer Lt. Col. George Joel Lalaquil announced that they have gained headway in the campaign against insurgency in several parts of Iloilo and Antique.
And it won’t be long, he added, that the remaining rebel force in the area will be reduced to an insignificant level by June 30, 2010, the deadline set by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to topple the insurgency all over the country.
“We are focusing on that task of bringing the insurgency to an inconsequential level in Southern Panay. Right now, our SOT teams are deployed for them to empower the people. Tuturuan ang masa kung papano i-a-address ang issues. They are also enabling the local government units by clearing areas para ang services ng ating government units makakarating,” Lalaquil said.
The 82IB commander said that they already cleared numerous areas which were earlier considered as rebel-affected.
“We have evaluated other barangays. Our efforts of clearing other barangays are continuing. So, we will try to beat that deadline na binigay ng ating Pangulo,” he added.
In doing these, Lalaquil saw no big hindrance except that some areas are so isolated that it could be reached days after trekking on foot.
“So, we see a problem there in connecting them with LGUs and in LGUs, too, in delivering their services,” he said adding, “So, ang ginagawa namin is we are empowering the people para marating nila an gating LGUs. And the LGU, also, we are also enabling them para marating ‘yung mga far-flung barangays, which nakikita natin na nandoon din ang effort ng ating kalaban.”
Meanwhile, 3rd Infantry Division commanding officer Maj. Gen. Vicente Porto said that the operations’ plan of the 82nd IB is continuously going on in accordance to the Division campaign plan.
As it is, Porto saw no need to bring in more people and additional fire power to the battalion, as long as they fulfill and execute the plans laid out for them.
Awardees
But amid their accomplishments, 82IB personnel admitted that they could not have done it without the support of their own people, private individuals, and other agencies.
That’s why, as part of the celebration, 82IB bestowed military merit medal to 1Lt. Pete Malaluan, 2Lt. Reymualdo Javellana, S/Sgt. Noel Pamating, Sgt. Roman Lacson, and Cpl. Roy Deramas.
On the other hand, S/Sgt/ Noel Pamating, Private Sandro Manejo, and Private Reno Lutero were given award of wounded personnel medal.
Other awardees include the Local Government Unit of Miag-ao; International Builders Corporation; Department of Health-Region VI; Probikers; Mayor Victor Tabaquirao of Tubungan, Iloilo; Mrs. Concepcion Tababa, ALS District Coordinator, DepEd Tubungan; Pastor Rey Mago of Tubungan Baptist Church; and mediamen Rodulfo Repizo and Tara Yap.
