Army division neutralizes NPA threat in 5 provinces

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 23): Army division neutralizes NPA threat in 5 provinces

Five provinces under the area of jurisdiction of the 10th Infantry Division (ID) of the Philippine Army are declared secured from the threat of the New People’s Army (NPA).

Speaking at the briefing Wednesday on peace and development effort of 10th ID from 2011 to 2013, Major General Ariel Bernardo said with the development, the 10th ID handed over the internal security efforts (ISE) of said provinces to their respective local government units (LGUs).

The said provinces are South Cotabato, Sarangani Province, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental.

The areas covered by 10th ID are Region 11, SoCSKSarGen, 2nd District of North Cotabato , Trento of Agusan del Sur, and Lingig of Surigao del Sur.

Bernardo, however, clarified that it doesn’t mean there are no more NPA insurgents in said provinces, however their operations and movements are already neutralized.

In this case, security efforts, can now be handled by the LGU, Bernardo said.

He said the ISE of South Cotabato was handed over to its LGU on September 30, 2011, Sarangani Province on November 2, 2012, Davao Oriental on April 10, 2013, Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental on December 12, 2013.

Bernardo singled out Davao Oriental as already “clean” of rebel infested barangays, while rebel sanctuaries still remain in the boundaries of Davao del Norte, and in areas of Bukidnon, Talaingod, Arakan Valley and Alabel Sarangani.

Compostela Valley has continued to remain as the stronghold of NPAs mainly in the municipality of Compostela.

He said the mining areas in the province is one reason of the strong presence of the NPAs in the area, adding that the military could not conduct a massive combat operation in the province due to the presence of civilians who are also do a living out of the mining operations.

Bernardo explained that the armed group remains as their “power factor” and the people as their “insurging factor”.

“So we are targeting to eliminate the armed group, “ he said.

Of the total 273 rebel-infested barangays in the 10th ID area of jurisdiction, about 60 percent are already immersed while 30 percent still have yet to be immersed.

Immersion is one of the effective peace and development program of the 10th ID in which they institute Bayanihan activities and other development interventions to improve the communities and thereby entice rebels to go back to the fold s of government there is already peace and development in their communities.

Bernardo believes dissatisfaction and discontentment on basic services and needs of the people push the people to sympathize with the rebels.

Once, these are addressed by government both local and national, peace follows with the rebels gradually returning to the government, he said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=608626