Additional troops 
			augmented in Region 8 to bolster campaign of ending local communist 
			armed conflict
		
By 
			DPAO, 8ID PA
			June 1, 2024
		CAMP 
			LUKBAN, Catbalogan City – The 8th Infantry “Stormtroopers” Division 
			welcomed the arrival of 2nd Howitzer Platoon, Bravo Company, 3rd 
			Field Artillery Battery (3FAB), Armor Artillery Regiment (AAR), 
			Philippine Army, in the region on May 31, 2024.
		They will serve as a support troops of the Joint Task Force Storm 
			and 8ID in its campaign of totally eradicating local communists in 
			Region 8.
		In the welcome ceremony, 8ID Chief of Staff, Colonel Cesar Molina 
			expressed his trust and confidence that the 2nd Howitzer Platoon, 
			Bravo Company, 3FAB will greatly contribute in sustaining the gains 
			of the government troops against the local communists.
		“Your role is crucial in gaining an advantage to end the insurgency 
			and safeguarding the safety and security of the Eastern Visayas. We 
			trust in your abilities to carry out your duties with the utmost 
			professionalism and expertise,” Col. Molina stated.
		The Platoon will be under the Operational Control of the 803rd 
			Infantry Brigade, the main effort in confronting the Regional 
			Guerilla Unit (RGU), Sentro De Gravidad of the Eastern Visayas 
			Regional Party Committee in the province of Northern Samar.
		The deployment of the 2nd Howitzer Platoon, Bravo Company of 3FAB 
			will bolster the existing firepower capabilities towards the total 
			eradication of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRMC), 
			the Communist Party of the Philippines- New People’s Army’s (CPP-NPA’s) 
			umbrella organization in the region.