THE LOCAL government and the military signed a memorandum of agreement in Grand Men Seng hotel yesterday that declares Davao City as conflict manageable and development ready area.
The agreement was signed by Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte along with Col. Ricardo Nepomuceno, commander of 1003rd infantry Brigade.
In his statement, Nepomuceno said an area may be defined as peaceful and ready for development when the barangays are cleared from New People’s Army influence.
Under this environment, he said, the political military structure is neutralized, the underground mass organizations and each members are co- opted and the internal territorial defense system has been established .
“This does not mean that the armed group had been finally defeated but in only signifies that they have been denied on their mass base and their traditional guerilla bases,” he said.
With the MOA, the focus of the military has shifted from clearing the city of the NPA to “holding and consolidating.”
Present during the signing were Councilor Nilo Abellera Jr., chair of committee on peace and security; Lt. Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerero, commander of Eastern Mindanao Command; Maj. Gen. Rafael Valencia, commander of 10th Infantry Division; Chief Supt. Federico Dulay Jr.; deputy regional director for administration; city police Sr. Supt. Vicente D. Danao Jr.; and Merilo Limabro, city director of Department of Interior and Local Government.
Their legal basis was base on RA 8551 were in the AFP will be the lead role in addressing the threat to National security.
Davao City has been experiencing relative peace, except for some parts of Pacquibato where the NPA still wields some influence.
But the peace and development efforts of the military and the local government unit resulted to the surrender of 45 NPAs from 2014 to present and restored trust and confidence towards the government.
For year 2015, the 13 barangays of Paquibato, 12 in Marilog and seven barangays in Baguio district were already declared clear of the NPA. The communist guerillas were also driven out of all barangays of Tugbok and Calinan, and 22 of 25 barangays in Toril since 2013.
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