The representative of the 47th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said that the province is “almost insurgency-free”, with a few personalities identified with the leftist armed group as still present in Bohol.
This was the disclosure of Maj. Jason Torino, the executive officer of the 47th IB during the Capitol Reports press conference on Sept. 16, 2022, facilitated by the Provincial Information and Media Office (PIMO).
Moreover, Torino said that as far as peace and security is concerned, in Bohol, the number of personalities involved in the activities of the communist-terrorist groups (CTG) here has gone down.
“Yung number sa mga personalities of the communist-terrorist group has lessened,” he said.
Torino added that based on the previous periodic report status, the number of members of CTG was about 18.
The military official said that there are now only 10 CTG members as monitored by the AFP and other state security forces, in the past few days.
He said that based on the assessment of the military, the remaining CTG members are unable to conduct offensive against the state security forces such as the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP), or create disturbance in the peace and security of Bohol.
The military officer confirmed that 10 CTG members are still in the province with hardly any activity. He also reported that just recently, the AFP managed to take over the alleged lair of the CTG members. The military managed to arrest 7 CTG personalities in the said operation.
For his part, Bohol police provincial director Col. Osmundo Salibo said that the insurgency situation in Bohol is that the CTG here has been “dismantled”.
He said the CTG is no longer a threat to Boholanos, Salibo said during the same press conference.
He added there is no barangay in Bohol where government is having difficulty implementing projects or programs.
Thus, the CTG’s ability to cause trouble is no longer a concern among the state security forces.
“Is there a single barangay in the province of Bohol that the services of government has been hampered? Wala na!” Salibo quipped.
The state security forces have yet to declare the province to be totally insurgency-free, but the CTG members currently here in the province, don’t have the capacity to commit acts of terrorism.
The government classifies the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-New People’s Army (NPA)-National Democratic Front (NDP) as a CTG, with the aim of instigating terrorist activities.
Back in 2010, right before the former Gov. Erico Boyles Aumentado stepped down, the province was declared insurgency-free after years of being an insurgency hotbed.
There was concerns back in 2020, following the increased activity of CTG that Bohol may lose its insurgency-free status.