MATI CITY, Davao Oriental — Following the redeployment of the 701st Infantry Brigade, the 1001st Infantry Brigade has assumed responsibility for Davao Oriental, committing to sustaining the province’s peace gains and strengthening ongoing development efforts.
BGen. Vince James D. Bantillan, commander of the 1001st IB, said in a press conference that, effective December 1, 2025, the brigade has officially taken over Davao Oriental as part of its expanded jurisdiction, in addition to its existing coverage of Davao de Oro.
“The 701st IB, which used to cover or has the jurisdiction of the province of Davao Oriental, has been officially redeployed and recalled back to its mother unit, the 7th Infantry Division of the Northern Luzon command. With that, the 1001st IB, which is initially stationed in Maco, Davao de Oro, is now covering this area as part of our expanded jurisdiction,” Bantillan announced.
Bantillan emphasized that since only the headquarters of the 701st IB is being redeployed, its operating battalions — the 66th Infantry Battalion in Mati City and the 67th Infantry Battalion in Baganga — remain in their respective areas of responsibility under their operational control.
“What was redeployed and transferred to was the controlling headquarters, but the operating units ay walang pagbabago (no changes) to include our detachments, our actual deployment, no changes. Kaya walang nabago doon sa (So there are no changes in our) operational tempo,” he explained.
Moreover, Bantillan acknowledged the achievements of the 701st IB, particularly in attaining and maintaining the province’s insurgency-free status.
With their expansion to the province, the Bantillan emphasized that they will sustain the peace gains and development efforts initiated by the 701st IB, particularly through continued collaboration with various stakeholders, especially local government units, to ensure lasting stability.
“The brigade will sustain yung direksyon na nasimulan na ng (the direction started by) 701st here in collaboration with the stakeholders through supporting the peace and development agenda of the LGU. We will fully support that, and we will be a very dedicated and productive partner concerning that,” he said.
He added, “In sustaining the peace is to prevent the resurgence of communist terrorist groups in the area… We are in the positive phase, meaning we support the developmental kasi nakita natin ito (because we see this) in ending the local communist armed conflict through good governance, delivering basic services, and development in the area.”
In maintaining peace, Bantillan said they will continue and strengthen their military operations across the province, even though no threats from communist terrorist groups have been reported.
He explained that their security obligations extend beyond protecting the people under their jurisdiction from domestic threats to also guarding against potential foreign threats.
Alongside their security duties, Bantillan added that they will enhance their capabilities to ensure they can effectively serve as first responders during emergencies.
“Rest assured, we will be here, the military will be here, ‘wag kayong mabahala na nagpalit; nagpalit lang ng controlling headquarters dito sa Davao Oriental (there’s no cause for concern; only the controlling headquarters in Davao Oriental has changed),” Bantillan said. PIA DAVAO