Wednesday, November 8, 2017

ARMY: 17 Mindanao provinces free from NPA influence

From the Mindanao Times (Nov 8): ARMY: 17 Mindanao provinces free from NPA influence

AROUND 17 provinces under the operational area of the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) were already declared as cleared from New People’s Army influence, a military official said yesterday.

The EastMinCom operates in Davao Region, Caraga, as well as parts of Northern Mindanao and North Cotabato.

Speaking in yesterday’s AFP-PNP press conference held at Task Force Davao headquarters, Maj. Ezra Balagtey, spokesperson of Eastern Mindanao Command, said it was during the time of Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, now the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff, as EastMinCom chief that they were able to craft a development program against insurgency.

“During his time we were able to craft the kapayapaan, the military’s current development support and security plan (DSSP) Kapayapaan and serves as upgraded version we came up an implementation plan,” Balagtey said. “That is his major accomplishment.”

Balagtey said only the Bukidnon and North Cotabato are the remaining provinces that will be subject to the declaration of peaceful and ready for further development. “This means there are remaining unsolved issues and underground organizations that are existing,” he added.

He said they have parameters to follow before declaring an area peaceful and ready for development.

“There are parameters, which include the NPA activities are already minimal,” he said.

On the other hand, Lt. Col. Esteyven Ducusin, battalion commander of the 71st IB which covers the Mawab, Maco in Compostela Valley, as well as part of Tagum and New Corella in Davao del Norte, said that they observed no NPA atrocities in their operational area for the past two months.
 
However, he said they remained on alert status to preempt any attack.

He also said two rebels already surrendered to them. “They had surrendered because they knew that there is good governance and the services they could avail from the government,” he said. “We will provide 50 slots for the NPAs who will surrender as long as they had their firearms.”
 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.