THE military has deployed a battalion from the Army’s Scout Ranger, fresh from training in Australia, to the Eastern Visayas region to help defeat the communist New People’s Army (NPA).
The 4th Scout Ranger Battalion (SRB) arrived in the port of Calbayog City in Samar last Sunday. Composed of around 400 personnel, the 4th SRB recently completed a battalion retraining program in Australia.
“They were trained on air-to-ground operations and small unit operations,” said 8th ID spokesman Capt. Jefferson Mariano.
Before going to Australia, Mariano said, the battalion was deployed in the Caraga region where the troops also fought communist rebels.
The battalion also played key role in quelling the so “Marawi City siege” staged by the terrorist Maute Group in 2017, and in ending the 2013 attack on Zamboanga City by rogue members of the Moro National Liberation Front.
The battalion was welcomed in Calbayog City Maj. Gen. Camilo Ligayo, commander of the 8th Infantry Division, and Calbayog City Mayor Raymund Uy.
“I am indeed grateful to the higher headquarters for sending one of the finest battalions from our elite force to augment our forces here in Eastern Visayas. Your expertise in combat tested by time will surely contribute to the Division’s campaign against decades-long insurgency,” said Ligayo.
Mariano said the deployment of the 4th SRB brought to 12 the number of battalions currently deployed in Eastern Visayas. He said there are around 300 NPA rebels operating in the region.
Ligayo said the military is targeting to end communist insurgency in the region by the first quarter of next year.
“We are optimistic we can end this (problem) with the arrival of the elite forces,” he said referring to the 4th SRB.
