Bohol’s police provincial director clarifies the pronouncement earlier made by Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 chief Brig. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro that Bohol may lose its “insurgency-free” label.
Col. Joselito Clarito said Ferro’s statement about the possibility of Bohol getting stripped of its “insurgency-free” tag is not categorical. The Bohol police chief added that Ferro did not mention that Bohol’s “insurgency-free“ status is currently threatened, a report by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), released on Sept. 29, 2020 said.
It was earlier reported that Ferro allegedly pointed out his observation on the rise of the activities of the communist-terrorists groups (CTGs) which could end up with Bohol losing its “insurgency-free” status.
Speaking during a command conference with the Bohol Provincial Police Command at Camp Francisco Dagohoy on Sept. 15, 2020, Ferro raised the facts about the resurgence of CTG activities in the past three (3) years.
Ferro cited the reported presence of armed men in several areas in Bohol and the discovery of CTG lairs, the sporadic encounters between the CTGs and the police and Army troops, and the alleged liquidation of barangay officials based on information from captured CTG members.
Last February 2020, a bloody encounter between the Philippine Army and the CTG happened in the hinterlands of Bohol leaving two (2) dead: one (1) each from the government and the CTG.
During the recent joint Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) meeting, on Sept. 22, 2020, Gov. Arthur Yap raised and sought a clarification on the police regional director’s statement about the possibility that Bohol might lose its “insurgency-free” status.
Clarito, bared that the statement of the regional director was not categorical.
For his part, Yap cited the number of former CTGs who surrendered to the government.
“Are we really in danger of the activities of the left?” the governor asked as he sought clarification on the meaning of Bohol being “insurgency-free”.
“Yes, they are here, but what is important is that we are doing something,” the governor stressed to the members of the PPOC, which included the police and military commanders in Bohol.
The governor said that the “insurgency-free” status does not really mean there are no more insurgents, but that there are no long any forces capable of paralyzing government.
Although the governor admits the CTGs are still a nuisance, he pointed out that they have been reduced that they could no longer affect the current situation and current affairs in the province.
He insisted that being “insurgency-free” should take into consideration whether or not the CTGs can still mount a force enough to neutralize the operations of government.