BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – The Army’s Third Infantry Division based in Panay island has bared its gains against Communist terrorists made during the nine months of 2024 as it revealed that the campaign against terrorist financing is now on “full throttle in Western Visayas.”
Third ID commander Major General Marion Sison highlighted in his 4th Quarter Campaign Progress Review and Assessment thst the Army had “gone far” in its aggressive ground campaign in the Western Visayas provinces of Negros Occidental, Iloilo, Guimaras, Roxas, Capiz, and Negros Oriental province.
He pointed out that during the months of January to October 2024, the Army initiated 63 armed clashes with the Communist terrorists that “neutralize” 116 rebels – 47 of which were killed and 69 were either caprured or surrendered.
The ground campaign also led to the dismantling of three guerrilla fronts and two sub-regional ones last yesr, Sison added.
A guerrilla front is a unit of armed fighters and Communist cadres that operate in a particular area to project control and influence over it, usually the size of several towns or cities equivalent to that of a political district.
As Sison disclosed details of the report, the Division’ s Public Affairs Office also sent a dispatch saying the Army’s legal offensive against terrorist financing in the region is already on “full throttle.”
The DPAO dispatch reads in fiull:
The 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division (3ID), in a relentless pursuit of peace and security in Western and Central Visayas, has intensified its legal offensives against the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG), resulting in significant victories.
Its legal efforts, in tandem with the Legal Cooperation Cluster (LCC6) through the Joint Focused Legal Action Team (JFLAT), have delivered a decisive blow against terrorism financing following the first conviction by the Regional Trial Court in Aklan against a CTG financier on September 2, 2024.
The conviction of Brince Gegodas, alias Ian Arevalo, Prince Egodas, Mak-Mak, or JP, highlights the persistent legal battle of the government forces through JFLAT in dismantling the financial networks that fuel the CTG in Panay Island.
Gegodas, a 35-year-old resident of Barangay Lahug, Tapaz, Capiz, was found guilty of violating Section 6 of Republic Act No. 10168, the “Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012.” The conviction stems from a meticulously crafted investigation and case build-up, spearheaded by the 3ID, PNP, and JFLAT, which uncovered irrefutable evidence of Gegodas’ financial contributions to the Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay.
Likewise, the 3ID’s legal efforts are not only focused on individual cases but also target other CTG financing networks in the two regions. The Division, through its 302nd Infantry Brigade, was instrumental in the Department of Justice (DOJ) filing of a case against the Cebu-based Community Empowerment Resource Network Inc. (CERNET) in 2023 for violating Section 8 of Republic Act 10168. The case resulted in the court’s issuance of arrest warrants against 27 individuals affiliated with CERNET in May 2024.
In April 2024, the 3ID and JFLAT lodged the same case against five members, including officials from the Kabankalan-based Paghidaet sa Kauswagan Development Group (PDG), for violating Section 8 of the same law.
Furthermore, the joint legal action of the 3ID and PNP, backed by JFLAT, also played a key role in the Capiz Provincial Prosecutor’s resolution dated September 9, 2024, recommending the filing of criminal charges against Cirila Estrada, alias Cora, staff, Regional Operations Division (ROD), Executive Committee, Komiteng Rehiyon Panay (KR-P), and Victor Pelayo, alias Akbar, former 1st Deputy Secretary of the dismantled Southern Panay Front, KR-P, and Commanding Officer of the Central Front, KR-P.
These criminal cases include violations of Section 28 of Republic Act No. 10591, also known as the “Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act”; and violations of Section 3 of Presidential Decree No. 1866, as amended by R.A. No. 9516, for the unlawful possession of explosives.
Pelayo and Estrada were apprehended in a joint Law Enforcement Support Operation (LESO) of the 3ID and CIDG in Barangay Calitan, Pan-ay, Capiz on August 29, 2024.
3ID Commander Major General Marion R. Sison said that the legal offensives against the CTG are a crucial component of the government forces’ overall strategy to end local communist armed conflict in Western and Central Visayas.
“The resolution of the case, which involved the conviction of a key CTG financier, was made possible through our collaborative efforts, utilizing the Legal Cooperation Cluster (LCC) as our mechanism. Through the LCC and its JFLAT, our legal offensive against the CTG and all its finance and resource generation machineries has become significantly more effective. Our success demonstrates the power of collaboration and the importance of a multi-pronged approach in combating terrorism,” MGen. Sison added.
The 3ID’s relentless pursuit of justice against the CTG serves as a testament to its unwavering commitment to peace and security in Western and Central Visayas. The legal victories achieved through collaboration with other security forces are also a significant step towards establishing a Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) in this part of the country.