AFP lauds Central Mindanao units

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Three units of the 6th Infantry (Kampilan) Division of the Philippine Army were awarded the AFP Campaign Streamer award for the destruction and suppression of two guerilla fronts operating arm of the New People's Army, a communist terrorist group operating in Central Mindanao.

The award was given to 603rd Infantry (Persuader) Brigade led by Colonel Michael A Santos and the two battalions under the brigade — the 7th Infantry (Loyal) Battalion and the 37th Infantry (Conqueror) Battalion led by Lt. Col. Frederick M Chicote and Lt. Col. John Paul Baldomar respectively.

They were personally lauded by Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro during the 87th anniversary of the AFP held at Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Santos said that the 7th and 37th IBs were able to destroy and suppress the existence of the West and East Guerilla Front Daguma of the
Sub-Regional Command Daguma under the Far South Mindanao Region terrorist group, the operating arm of the NPA in the province of Sultan Kudarat.

"We'd like to express our appreciation to the AFP for this distinction," Santos said. "We also want to thank the troops and stakeholders for their efforts extended to the soldiers."

"We will exert even more effort to eradicate the remnants of the communist terrorist group from the territory controlled by the 603rd Persuader Brigade,» he added.

Joint Task Force Central and the Commander of the 6th Infantry Division Maj. Gen. Roy Galido also extended his congratulations to the 603rd Brigade, 7th, and 37th IB on their success and reminded them to "never let your guard down."

"Although we have decreased the number of Guerilla Fronts, the challenges are still there but we are very optimistic about making insurgency free doable in Central and South-Central Mindanao," Galido said.