HINIHINALANG may plano ang pamunuan ng Armed Forces of the Philippine para tuluyang wasakin ang nalalabing puwersa ng Communist Party of the Philippine at ang kanilang armadong galamay na New Peoples Army kaya binigyan si Northern Luzon Command Lt. Gen. Ernesto C Torres Jr nang dagdag panlabang puwersa mula sa Philippine Marines.
Nasa disposal ngayon ni Ltgen Torres ang 4th Marine Brigade (4MBde), at Marine Battalion Landing Team 8 (MBLT8) na beterano na sa laban kontra terorismo sa Sulu ng halos anim na taon.
Sinasabing gagamitin ng NOLCOM ang kasanayan ng 4MBde at MBLT8 sa Mindanao para palakasin ang ground forces sa Luzon na nagsasagawa ngayon ng internal security operations sa Northern at Central Luzon laban sa nalalabing Communist Terrorist Group.
Ang Sulu-based marine units na dating nasa ilalim ng pamumuno ng AFP Western Mindanao Command’s joint area of operations ay responsable sa recovery ng may 572 high-powered firearms, 222 ASG surrenderees, recovery ng smuggled goods na umaabot sa mahigit P21 million.
Nireposition ang mga Marines sa ilalim ng NOLCOM’s operational control para suportahan ang inilunsad na kampanya para wakasan na ang local communist armed conflict sa north at central Luzon.
Kasma ni Ltgen Torres sina Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Manotoc, Naval Forces Northern Luzon Commander Francisco Tagamolila Jr, local chief executives and commanding officers ng NOLCOM units sa pagsalubong sa tropa ng Marines.
“We will optimize the employment of your capabilities as a unit in order to make sure we win the fight against communist terrorists in NOLCOM’s joint area of operations” ani Lt. Gen. Torres Jr.
Kinilala rin ng heneral ang nagawang ambag ng Philippine Marines sa Sulu nang mag transform ito mula “terrorism to tourism”.
Aside from combatting terrorism, the newly- deployed Marines in Northern Luzon will also aid in ensuring the safety and continuous development of the communities in the area as well as provide support to stakeholders and government agencies in performing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response Operations (HADR) and Joint Law Enforcement Support Operations. (VICTOR BALDEMOR)
