Saturday, October 14, 2006 Military sends troops to Sta. Barbara-Cabatuan airport By Ruby P. Silubrico
THE 3rd Infantry Division (ID) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has sent personnel to the Airport of International Standard located at Sta. Barbara and Cabatuan.
A platoon of soldiers were deployed since Thursday and it serves as an augmentation force to the detailed members of the PNP that were recently sent by Senior Superintendent Joel Napoleon Coronel of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO).
Captain Reynante Besa, spokesperson of the 3rd ID, said the deployment of troops is being done following the Mindanao bombing believed to be executed by members of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI). The bombing resulted to the death of innocent persons.
Around 30 cops surround the airport along with 40 private security guards who are fully armed.
On the other hand, Chief Superintendent Geary Barias of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 is appealing to the community to help them especially in monitoring suspicious looking persons. “The community is the best weapon in our intelligence networking.”
“They must be vigilant with the people around them. We really need their support and cooperation so that we can immediately react in case of emergency,” Barias added.
Last Sunday, around 30 rebels entered and bombed the Hanjin Construction Company, a sub-contractor of the Airport in Silay City, Negros Occidental at around 2 a.m.
Heavily armed men of Komiteng Reheyon Negros Larangan Guerlla 3 (KRN-LG3) disarmed the security guards and carted away 18 caliber 38 revolver and three long firearms.
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