8th Infantry Division: Sustains the shaping and sharpening of troops for counter insurgency!

Press Release
By Division Public Affairs Office, 8th Infantry Division, PA
July 18, 2006

CATBALOGAN, Samar  – One hundred percent filled-up 46th Infantry Battalion composed of 34 Officers and 542 Soldiers braced up as the 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army opened the Battalion Retraining at Camp Lukban grounds around 3:30 in the afternoon of July 12, 2006.

8th Infantry Division’s Commanding General, Major General Bonifacio B. Ramos AFP finds the retraining of 46th Infantry Battalion timely for their renewed campaign to put an end to the communist insurgency menace in Eastern Visayas.

It can be recalled that soldiers belonging to 8th Infantry Division recently scored against the CPP/NPAs in Region 8 in two separate operations in Ormoc City and Northern Samar where the communist terrorists suffered two killed and three apprehended and the troops’ capture of five high-powered firearms, one low-powered firearm, laptop computer, assorted ammunitions and CPP/NPA subversive documents.

The troops, with complete equipment in full battle gear diligently listened as Major General Ramos emphasized the need to eradicate the remaining CPP/NPA threat from the region. “I challenge you to re-shape & re-sharp your tactics & techniques to carry out the pronouncement of the national leadership and the AFP to run these enemies of the state, to the ground. Only when there is an atmosphere of peace that sustained economic growth and development could come in” He said.

He likewise stressed the importance of one’s strength of will and character in efficiently accomplishing the task of reducing insurgency to an insignificant level at the soonest possible time. “Let us remember that battles & conflicts are fought and won, not by machines, but by the men behind them. No matter how technologically advanced these machines are, still it is the soldier’s attitude and the commander’s ability to employ his available resources that matters the most.” He further said.

The battalion retraining is in line with the Philippine Army’s program to refurbish the equipment and armaments of the Infantry Battalion and refresh the knowledge and skills of our soldiers to effectively carry out the pronouncement of the national leadership to put an end to the CPP/NPA terrorist movement in order to promote economic growth and development.