CAMP LAPU-LAPU, Cebu City – Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (VCSAFP) Lieutenant General Erickson R. Gloria commended on Monday the Visayas Command (VISCOM) for its significant accomplishments in its campaign against rebels resulting in the neutralization of 97 rebels, 27 of whom were killed.

“Let me commend Team VISCOM for a job well done, both operationally and administratively, especially on your successful clearing of focus areas, dismantling of guerilla fronts, and the neutralization of enemy vertical formation,” said Gloria during the command briefing at the De Goma Hall, Camp Lapu-Lapu, Cebu City.

The activity is part of the VCSAFP administration and supervision of the General Headquarters (GHQ) units, Unified Commands, and the AFP-Wide Service Support Units, and as Program 4 Resource Manager, said Maj. Ace Galorio, public information officer.

Galorio said it was conducted in a blended engagement approach wherein the representatives of the different coordinating staff of the GHQ headed by Gloria, who attended virtually, while members of the coordinating and special staff of VISCOM led by Capt. Oscar D. Canlas Jr. (Philippine Navy), deputy commander, and Col. Vincent B. Iringan of (Philippine Army), chief of the unified command staff, were present physically.

During the briefing, Col. Ronel R. Manalo PA, VISCOM’s Assistant Chief of the Unified Command Staff for Operations, presented the significant accomplishments of the Command relative to its previous and current campaigns; updates on the status of its personnel, logistics, and financial resources; status on the implementation of infrastructure projects; status of its AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) transformation roadmap institutionalization pathway; and the status of its force-oriented cost information system.

Highlighted during the presentation are the significant accomplishments of VISCOM on internal security operations and disaster response operations. As for its internal security operations, from January 1 to date, VISCOM and its subordinate units were able to dismantle one guerilla front and have weakened another guerilla front in its joint operational area.

These are apart from the 94 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels who were neutralized, with 148 firearms seized for the period – 27 were killed in 75 government-initiated encounters.

At least nine key NPA leaders, four “high-value individuals”, and five finance officers were neutralized based on the presentation.

Meanwhile, as for its disaster response efforts, VISCOM reported that amid the devastation they suffered following the onslaught of super typhoon “Odette”, they were able to mobilize and synchronize the Search, Rescue, and Retrieval (SRR) efforts of the 323 SRR Teams by putting up a Command Center even amid heavy power interruption.

Hundreds of personnel and mobility assets were also dispatched to expedite the delivery of 1,632,875 tons of relief goods to the affected communities. Two “Very Small Aperture Terminal” (VSAT) communication assets were even installed in Bohol to facilitate efficient and reliable communication to the affected communities of the said province.

Likewise, during the onslaught of tropical depression “Agaton”, VISCOM and its subordinate units were able to provide immediate response leading to the successful rescue of 2,500 individuals trapped in a flash flood and the recovery of 123 cadavers that were buried during a landslide in Bgy. Kantagos, Baybay City, Leyte.

The VCSAFP also commended VISCOM for its immediate disaster response, saying, “I also commend you for a job well done on your humanitarian assistance and disaster response. Even if you are also directly affected by the calamity, you were still able to provide timely and needed assistance to our constituents in the Visayas region.”

Gloria encouraged the members of Team VISCOM to sustain their gains, saying, “I encourage you to continue with your efforts and sustain your gains. With the character of your leaders, I am confident that you can achieve more.”