THE Army's 97th Infantry Battalion (IB) has intensified the conduct of anti-insurgency campaign in Zamboanga del Norte through School Information Awareness Program as part of its annual plans and programs to deter recruitment by insurgents.
The 97IB said in a statement Monday, March 11, 2024, that the campaign was anchored on the theme "Equipping Students with Necessary Knowledge to be More Resilient in Facing the Challenges of the Fictitious Ideology of Insurgency."
The 97IB said the series of school information awareness activities started last week and saw the participation of 2,608 junior and senior high school students from different schools in the towns of Katipunan, Sergio Osmeña, and Dipolog City.
The 97IB said the primary objective of the awareness campaign was to educate the students and youth pertaining to the deceptive recruitment of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and be able to protect themselves from the perils of affiliating with any of the front organizations of the said groups.
The awareness campaign is spearheaded by First Lieutenant Elham Sirajan, the City-Military Operations officer of the 97IB.
The 97IB said that incorporated in the campaign were the testimonies of four former NPA rebels, who discussed on how they were lured with false ideologies and their strategies and capabilities towards recruiting their potential targets.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Sanz, 97IB commander, reiterated that they will continue to engage, educate and equipped the youth and students with significant information about the risks associated with insurgency recruitment.
Sanz said they will actively engage with the local communities and schools to promote peace and security while deterring the insurgent recruitment activities of the CPP-NPA-NDF within it's the area of operations of the 97IB. (SunStar Zamboanga)