Tuesday, August 21, 2007 Negros Cafgus won't be sent to Basilan By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
A TOP ranking official of the Philippine Army in Negros assured there will be no Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) members in Negros to be sent to war-torn Basilan.
"No Cafgus in Negros will be sent to Basilan. That's 100 percent sure," General Gregorio Fajardo, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade in Negros island said.
He said at present, Negros has about 360 new Cafgus undergoing training who will fill up about three companies in Negros island to augment the local forces against the New People's Army (NPA) rebels.
"The entire 15th Infantry Battalion that 3rd ID sent to Basilan was enough as augmentation force there. So, I think there's no need for our Cafgus here in Negros to be sent there in Basilan," he said.
Meanwhile, Fajardo lamented on a report that 15 more Marine soldiers and a helicopter gunship pilot were killed during a fierce clash with Abu Sayyaf Saturday last week.
The military reported about 30 killed Abu Sayyaf bandits in Saturday's encounter after the Marines attacked an Abu Sayyaf camp and engaged about 70 militants in close-quarter combat in a remote village outside the town of Ungkaya Pukan on Basilan island.
Another seven Marines were also wounded in the fighting, the Army also reported.
The Army reports disclosed that among those confirmed killed on the Abu Sayyaf's side were sub-leader Umair Indama alias Abu Jihad, brother of Furuji; and a certain Barad.
Umair is one of the four men identified as behind the beheading of 10 of 14 Marines soldiers killed last July 10.The three others were Nurhasan and Buhari Jamiri and Suaib Kalibon.
