ILOILO City – Brigadier General Michael Samson, the newly appointed commander of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID), has set his sights on declaring Central and Western Visayas insurgency-free.
Samson, who formally took over the post on January 31 from Major General Marion Sison, vowed to intensify efforts against the remaining insurgents who have yet to surrender and embrace the government’s reintegration programs.
“To fulfill our mission, we must first deal with the remnants — isolated groups still evading our troops. I am confident that it is only a matter of time before their presence is completely eliminated,” Samson stated.
He emphasized that military operations are not aimed at taking lives but rather at making it untenable for rebels to continue their armed struggle.
The objective, he said, is to pressure them into surrendering and reintegrating into mainstream society.
“Our goal is for them to return to their families and become productive members of society. As much as possible, we do not want to resort to violence, but as soldiers, we have a duty to protect the people,” Samson added.
The 3ID commander also called on local communities and stakeholders to support efforts in maintaining peace and ensuring the region remains free from insurgency./PN
