Army unit sustains culture of peace in Davao Oriental

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 15): Army unit sustains culture of peace in Davao Oriental

The new commander of the Philippine Army unit based in this province has vowed to sustain the “culture of peace” in Davao Oriental, the only province in Mindanao declared as “insurgency-free” by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Col. Bienvenido Datuin,Jr., the newly installed commanding officer of the Davao Oriental-based 701st Infantry Brigade, said he is fully committed to pursue the “seeds of peace” or the peace intervention programs of his predecessor, Col. Benjamin Madrigal Jr. that is being warmly embraced by the people in this province.

Madrigal, who was promoted as the new assistant division commander of the 10th Infantry Division, was being credited both by local government officials and residents of this province for the successful implementation of peace and development programs that led the Armed Forces of the Philippines to declare Davao Oriental as “insurgency-free” province.

Governor Corazon Malanyaon, however, said that being insurgency-free is a big boost that have truly transformed the province’s image, noting that the province have long been tagged as the hotbed of the Communist insurgency. Having witnessed the brutality of the armed conflict that resulted not only in the loss of lives but also in crushing destitution among her people, the governor says communities affected by the conflict can now return to normalcy and pursue sustainable livelihood.

Malanyaon said the AFP play a vital role in her peace and development efforts as forefront in the delivery of services to the people especially in times of emergency and other calamities.

She said the famous Bayanihan spirit which the members of the Armed Forces have set themselves as examples, turned out to be very effective.

The word bayanihan conjures up the image of a house being carried by the able-bodied men of the village, the representation of communal unit, of the collective spirit, she stressed.

The governor highlighted Bayanihan because a community can achieve greater things when the people work together. The quest for the elusive peace, she said, requires the efforts of everyone in the community.

She thanked the Philippine Army for engaging the local government units, the indigenous peoples, the youth, the private sector and other sectors in the community towards the singular goal of winning the peace.

The governor has gratefully noted that the level of trust and confidence in the province is at its highest now.

She adds the “insurgency-free” status of Davao Oriental is a “glorious achievement” and a defining landmark both of her administration and the Philippine Army.

“I would like to thank our partners in the civilian government most especially the local political leadership headed by Governor Corazon Malanyaon… for the strong partnership and full support given to the brigade in all its undertakings. These were the keys for the success to our campaign,” Madrigal said.

He also thanked the officers, the men and women of the brigade, and all the units under its operational control, we have 67th IB, 28TH IB and recently the 66th IB, for your support and dedication to carry out our mission to serve the people and promote peace and security… Truly, I have greatly appreciated your support to our shared initiative and commitment and the strong partnership we have established with the local government and the other stakeholders. We have succeeded in the campaign against insurgency that made the province of Davao Oriental the most peaceful among the provinces of the Davao Region,” Madrigal said.

He said that under whose watch, the 701stInfantry “Kagitingan” Brigade was awarded as the “Best Brigade.” The recognition came both from its mother division, the 7th Infantry Division and 10th Infantry Division that exercises control over the brigade.

“Now I urge you to continue to face the greater challenge of sustaining the peace we had achieved in our area of responsibility especially at this time that our enemy is even more determined to reclaim the support of the people in the affected communities… I urge you to continue to advocate our brand of service excellence and professionalism within our ranks and to remain resolute in the pursuit of our vision for a genuine and lasting peace, stability and progress in our area of responsibility,”Madrigal said during the change of command on Saturday.

For his part, the newly installed commander of the 701st Infantry Brigade, Col. Datuin, has called on peace and development stakeholders here to “join hands and continue with what we are doing so that we can eventually see more progress for Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley province and all other areas within my responsibility.”

Datuin is a seasoned officer who is experienced in both combat and non-combat operations. Before assuming his present post, he held several positions among them as platoon leader, company commander, chief of the civil-military operations branch and officer of the 703rd Infantry Brigade.

 

He also served as staff and administration officer, commanding officer of training school, assistant chief of unified command staff for operations of Central Command, Commandant of the National Capital Region Community Defense Group.

He also served as commander of the 28th Infantry Battalion and the Army Personnel Management Center.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=735912