16 villages recommended to be declared insurgency-free

SIXTEEN insurgency-affected barangays in Davao City were recommended by an inter-agency evaluation team to be declared as cleared, peaceful, and conflict–resilient communities to the Area Clearing Validation Board (ACVB).

Speaking during the AFP-PNP press forum on Wednesday, September 19, at Task Force Davao headquarters, Philippine Army’s 1003rd Infantry Brigade commander Brigadier General Ernesto Torres Jr. said these barangays passed the parameters set for a village to be declared as insurgency-free.

Based on the Community Support Program update, these barangays are Gumalang, Dacudao, Dalagdag, Lampiano and Lacson in Calinan District; Baganihan, Magsaysay in Marilog; Atan-awe, Kilate and Tagluno in Toril; Pandaitan, Fatima and Sumimao in Paquibato; Tigatto and Indangan in Buhangin and Barangay Gatungan in Bunawan District.

“In clearing of a barangay, it is not unilaterally being declared by the military. Kasama natin ang police, local chief executive, meaning barangay captains, [and] Davao City Government,” Torres said.

These officials, he said, will sit in a board and validate the barangays that were previously affected by the New People’s Army (NPA) and were recommended by the area clearing evaluation board to have no longer affected by communist group. Torres said that this might be validated by the ACVB in October.

In the area of responsibility of the 1003rd Brigade covering Davao City and Davao del Norte, there were a total of 105 insurgency-affected barangays and of this number, there were already a total of 48 that were cleared. Should this 16 be approved, then, there will be a total of 64 cleared barangays.

During the evaluation process, they will deploy a community support team to evaluate and assess, in coordination with the police, barangay official, and representative from the local government, if these barangays are qualified.

A barangay will only be declared as insurgency-free when the parameters are met such as the dismantling of CPP-NPA politico-military structure; the denial of CPP-NPA access to the area, resources, and manpower; and the establishment of a functioning barangay information network and integrated community public safety system, among others.

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