The new commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade vowed to maintain peace and order and the insurgency-free status of Bohol as he formally assumed command of the military unit during a turnover ceremony at Camp Rajah Sikatuna in Carmen on Thursday.
According to Col. Ignacio Madriaga, his new designation as the top Army official in Bohol is a big challenge considering the province’s brush with Abu Sayyaf bandits last year.
Ignacio admitted feeling pressure in replacing Brig. Gen. Arnulfo Matanguihan who he said has achieved much as the brigade’s commander.
Matanguihan who was reassigned to Bicol as the assistant commander of a larger military unit, the 9th Infantry Division, led the 302nd IBde in hunting down the 11 Abu Sayyaf stragglers in Bohol last April.
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However, Madriaga said he believes that security forces in the province will continue to keep terrorists and other armed groups from entering the province.
Matanguihan, for his part, advised Madriaga to maintain coordination with the public and the province’s officials to boost the army brigade’s drive against lawless elements.
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The Army general also expressed confidence that no matter who leads the Army in Bohol, the province will remain peaceful with the active support of the community for state forces.
Earlier, Matanguihan assured that Bohol remained insurgency-free even amid purported sightings of unidentified armed men across remote villages in the province during the previous months.
Bohol residents need not fret over any New People’s Army attack as state forces have not received any official information indicating the presence of rebel threats in the province, Matanguihan said. (AD)