"The success we've achieved is not an isolated victory. It's a blueprint for what can be accomplished when we unite in the pursuit of peace and progress," said former Guerilla Front 55 Secretary Arian Jane Ramos, also known as Marikit, during the first anniversary celebration of an insurgency-free Davao Region at the Arcadia Event Center, Matina Enclaves in Davao City on October 27, 2023.
In her message, Ramos emphasized that what transpired in the Davao Region must be replicated throughout the nation to overcome the challenges posed by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
"To my former comrades, enough blood has been shed, and too many lives have been lost in the pursuit of an ideal that time has proven futile. It is time to confront the harsh reality; the revolution we once envisioned, the government we aimed to overthrow, will never materialize through armed struggle," Ramos added.
Likewise, Tumanoron Boyson E. Anib Sr., an Indigenous People Structure (IPS) Executive Council Member and Director of the Ancestral Domain Management Office (ADMO), testified to the positive changes in the IP community since the government's sustainable development programs began and pledged to preserve and protect these gains.
In his remarks, Davao City Mayor Sebastian 'Baste' Duterte encouraged former rebels and the IP community to remain steadfast in their commitment to maintaining an insurgency-free Davao Region, acknowledging the ups and downs on the path to peace and the importance of unity as Filipinos.
During the ceremony, Brigadier General Allan D. Hambala, 10th Infantry (Agila) Division commander, led the 'Pledge to Sustain the Peace in Davao Region,’ together with Presidential Assistant for Eastern Mindanao Secretary Leo Tereso Magno, Eastern Mindanao Command Deputy Commander Brigadier General Consolito P. Yecla, and key local chief executives of Davao Region.
On October 12, 2022, the Davao Region was officially declared Insurgency-Free through Regional Peace and Order Council 11 Resolution Number 07, series of 2022, following the dismantling of all NPA units within the region. PR