THE Provincial Government of Davao Oriental officially declared that the province is "insurgency free" — the last in Davao Region to make a formal declaration.
The declaration was formalized during the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting at Honey's Hotel in Mati City on Monday, September 19.
The council unanimously approved Resolution Number 1 series of 2022, declaring the province as insurgency-free after Guerilla Front South was dismantled on April 18, 2021; Guerilla Front North on June 20, 2021; and Guerilla Front 18 on September 15, 2022, all previously operating in Davao Oriental. Likewise, 108 Communist NPA Terrorists and 109 firearms were neutralized and captured by the security sector in the said province from the 3rd Quarter of 2019 to date.
In a report presented by 701st Infantry Brigade Commander BGen. Oliver Maquiling, he said they attribute the successful counterinsurgency campaign to the convergence of government agencies in implementing various peace and development programs.
Governor Corazon Malanyaon said it was high time to declare the province as insurgency-free, especially now that the province is aggressively promoting its tourism.
“We have what it takes to be a premier tourist destination, and Davao Oriental is worth visiting. But we also have to consider that the tourism industry is too sensitive to peace and order,” Malanyaon said.
Major Gen. Nolasco Mempin, 10th Infantry Division (10ID) Commander, expressed his appreciation of the support of the provincial government, and the operations made by the 701st Infantry Brigade in defeating the insurgency in the area.
"We are now witnessing history. All of our provinces here in Davao Region were declared insurgency-free. Now, I urge everyone to continue our efforts and not rest on our laurels. We will continue to push further towards the attainment of sustainable development in the whole Region,” Mempin said.
Captain Mark Anthony Tito, 10ID spokesperson, told SunStar Davao in an online message, that Davao Oriental is the last province to formally declare that its locality is "insurgency-free." This comes a month after the Provincial Government of Davao Occidental also declared that the presence of the communist group has been dismantled.
Tito, however, said that the entire region cannot yet be declared "insurgency free" unless the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) passes a resolution.
Earlier this year, the government of Davao City, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, and Davao de Oro had also declared that their area is "insurgency-free."
The army said the declaration came following the "successful dismantling" of all guerilla fronts in the province due to the "effective counterinsurgency campaign." RGL