MANILA, Philippines - The military on Tuesday sent additional troops and combat equipment to Eastern Mindanao to augment a deployment made on Sunday, a regional military spokesman said.
Major Armand Rico, spokesman of the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom), said two artillery batteries composed of about 20 soldiers equipped with 105-mm Howitzer cannons were sent to the area.
He said the additional troops would check the rise in New Peoples Army (NPA) atrocities, noting that data from the regional police show rebels have conducted over a hundred attacks during the first semester.
"The soldiers will based in the Eastmincom headquarters in Kalapan, Davao City and will be ready for deployment in case any eventuality happens," he told BusinessWorld in a telephone interview.
Mr. Rico said the troops would help safeguard soft targets such as mining firms and business establishments in Agusan and Bukidnon provinces and Davao Region.
He said the troops were pulled out from Camp ODonnell in Capas, Tarlac.
On Sunday, a battalion-sized mechanized infantry about 500 soldiers equipped with 25 tanks were sent to the area.
Eastmincom has 8,100 soldiers composed of three infantry divisions. The deployment will add 700 soldiers, Mr. Rico said.
He said the reinforcements would allow the military to field more mobile and powerful units against the NPA in gold-rich Compostela Valley province and around Davao City, a center of commerce.
He warned of a "possible return of the chaotic situation during the 1980s" when the NPA operated out of the slums of major Mindanao cities and launched assassination campaigns against soldiers and police. - BusinessWorld