DAVAO CITY – Agila Division personnel will have no Christmas and New Year’s break unless the last group of New People’s Army within their area of responsibility is dismantled before December 30, 2023, according to Brigadier General Allan Hambala, the commander of the 10th Infantry "Agila” Division.
During the graduation ceremony of candidate soldier course class 766-2023 in Mawab, Davao De Oro on November 29, 2023, Brigadier General Hambala urged Agila troopers to intensify efforts to dismantle weakened Guerilla Front 57, which operates in Bukidnon and North Cotabato with more than 13 members.
Despite the declaration of insurgency-free status in the Davao Region, the 10ID emphasized that its mission is not complete.
Hambala reiterated, “We still need to dismantle one remaining guerilla front operating somewhere in Bukidnon and South Cotabato and if we are not able to dismantle it by December 30, 2023, there will be no Christmas and New Year’s Break for all members of Agila Division.”
During the peak of insurgency in 2016, the 10ID faced 16 guerilla fronts in Davao Region, some parts of Bukidnon, Agusan, and North Cotabato with over a thousand personnel, 10ID spokesperson Major Mark Anthony Tito said.
On November 18 and 24, 2023, Agila Division troops neutralized members of the Regional Sentro De Grabidad (RSDG) of the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) in Agusan Del Sur and the Sub-Regional Sentro De Grabidad (SRSDG) Peddler of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC) in Quezon, Bukidnon.
Both encounters resulted in the neutralization of two rebel members and the recovery of two M16 rifles along with various war materials.
Tito, however, said 10ID's area of responsibility remains generally peaceful. PR