PH Army shares efforts to save students against communist recruitment
By Kelvin Kennt R. Generalo
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur — The 401st Infantry "Unite N' Fight" Brigade of the Philippine Army, under Brigadier General Francisco F. Lorenzo, shared during the 12th episode of Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas that they are initiating programs in higher education institutions within their area of responsibility to safeguard the youth from recruitment by the communist terrorist group (CTG), and also show them that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is dedicated in humanitarian activities.
"Our unit engages in activities
to reach out to students. We have a Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC)
program where we conduct information and education campaigns. Additionally, we
hold forums with students in schools within our area to inform them about the
deceptive tactics used by rebels to recruit them," he said.
"We have also carried out
several humanitarian activities to show that our troops are actively working to
meet the community’s needs, unlike the rebels who make promises but fail to
deliver," he added.
It was also emphasized that
insurgency by the CTG remains a significant issue in the Caraga region.
However, with the support of the AFP, recruitment has decreased while progress
continues in the affected provinces.
"When addressing the insurgency
problem, the Philippine Army does not follow a population-to-soldier ratio.
Instead, we use a one-to-one approach, where a specific unit confronts a single
threat group," BGen. Lorenzo explained.
"The area of the threat group
aligns with the area of responsibility of the deployed unit. Our battalions do
not adhere to political boundaries but focus on the territory of the
adversaries to more effectively address issues caused by the rebels. In areas
without insurgency, fewer troops are deployed, focusing on supporting the peace
and order efforts of the Philippine National Police," he elaborated.
Regarding the potential declaration
of additional insurgency-free provinces after Surigao del Norte, Lorenzo said,
"Our goal is to declare provinces insurgency-free, and we are working
diligently to achieve this. We aim for all provinces in Caraga to be declared
insurgency-free and have set a target date for this accomplishment."
The AFP plays a crucial role in
disaster response, and the 401st Infantry Brigade supports local government
units in their area of responsibility.
"Our soldiers are trained for humanitarian assistance in disaster response. Although there have been few disasters in recent years, we deploy our response units to provide necessary aid to affected citizens and individuals in the community," Lorenzo concluded. (KKG, PIA-Agusan del Sur)
