Army warns communities

From ‘front’ organizations

FOR the army, confronting Bohol White Area Committee (BWAC) with the mission of denying recovery efforts of communist terrorist cleared areas is just as challenging as strategically outmaneuvering an enemy post.

According to sources, the strategic field of engagement has shifted from the mountains to the urban areas that the army has to make a paradigm shift in its campaigns to accomplish the mission.

We have to change from fighting the enemy to winning the peace, declared army Special Forces chief

Lt. Col Romeo Brawner, over the changes in fight strategy following the fleeing of armed rebels from Bohol to Negros Oriental.

Now faced with an unarmed but equally powerful white area committee specializing in urban recruitment, the army has warned communities not be easily swayed by offers of some non-government organizations used as front of the committee.

At the recent Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting, army’s 802^nd Brigade commander Colonel John Bunafos issued the warning to make communities aware of the recent developments.

“Most of the needs of communities now are already served by Capitol and its accredited organizations,” Bonafos declared.

The men charged with the internal security operations in Bohol however noted that there are non-government organizations which put up fronts and later use innocent communities to advance their goal to organize the mass base in preparation for the revival of the armed group or re-entry of fleeing armed rebels from Negros.

BWAC members, army intelligence reports shared, are instigating and feeding issues sowing intrigues among organizations to destabilize and keep these perfectly normal organizations into highly political groups that can be easily manipulated into mobilizations and street rallies.

“You can always identify them by their organizations when they bring in groups for street ralies,” hinted Army special Forces commander Col. Romeo Brawner when asked who are the BWAC members.

Just as the communist insurgents left Bohol, its legal fronts shifted the fields of engagement to urban communities and established the BWAC, explained former 802^nd Brigade Commander Alan Luga.

“Since then, the BWAC has gone to intensify its recovery works in order to re-establish its mass base in preparation for the revival of the armed struggle or entry of the armed group from Negros Oriental,” Col Bonafos said in his presentation.

These mass bases will serve as communications or ratlines of the New People’s Army during their subsequent movements from one place to another, Col Bonafos revealed.

According to army sources, the BWAC has a complete human rights, health, education, intelligence, finance, propaganda and internal security teams.

The army also said that BWAC I and II are already set up with DWAC 3 to be formed as soon as district federation of farmers is established in the 3rd Congressional District of Bohol. (racPIABohol)