Army deploys CMO troops in Marikina City

By Ronron
August 20, 2007

For the first time, the Army leadership deployed on Monday civil-military operatives (CMO) in Marikina City to help thwart the spread of insurgency in the metropolis.

At the same time, 98 Army troopers were deployed in Payatas, Quezon City to participate in the house-building project of Gawad Kalinga and the Ateneo Foundation.

Col. Ricardo Visaya, commander of the CMO battalion of the Philippine Army, said the fresh deployments bring to almost 500 the Army personnel spread around Metro Manila for civil military operations since the first dispatch last month.

“We are expanding the deployment. This is a preventive measure because they (communists) are intensifying their recruitment, especially in barangays,” Visaya told Camp Aguinaldo reporters yesterday.

Visaya said one platoon each for Barangays Parang, Tumana and Fortune in Marikina City, or a total of 80 personnel, were deployed at 2pm yesterday.

Earlier in the day, the 98 Army soldiers for Payatas were already dispatched, complementing 100 troops already in Quezon City.

The Army already has 30 personnel in Taguig City, and 160 personnel in Manila City.

But Visaya said more troops may be deployed within the week in Manila City and Quezon City in response to pleas of barangay officials.

He said the deployment in Caloocan City remains undecided upon as discussions with local officials are still ongoing.

Visaya disclosed the Army has also conducted information drive in schools, particularly the Central Colleges of the Philippines, the Philippine Women University, the Philippine Normal College, and Adamson University.

There are also plans to conduct similar activities at the Far Eastern University, Fiate University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and the University of the Philippines in the coming weeks, he said.

Visaya said it is important to conduct anti-insurgency drive in schools because students are being targeted by the communist movement to act as strategists or tacticians or planner.

“Normally, those who lead the armed group are from the labor sector. But they don’t really have the brains. So who should be the strategist, tacticians? It’s the students,” Visaya said.

The first deployment of Army CMO troops in Metro Manila from November 2006 until May of this year was highly criticized by various sectors, including the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), as it was allegedly intended for the May 14 elections and risks of violating the civil liberties of ordinary people./DMS