Key Philippine Military and Insurgency-Related Events: Davao counterinsurgency ‘experiment’ continues with P1.58-billion BDP fund

Monday, February 22, 2021

Davao counterinsurgency ‘experiment’ continues with P1.58-billion BDP fund

From the Business Mirror (Feb 23, 2021): Davao counterinsurgency ‘experiment’ continues with P1.58-billion BDP fund (By Jovee Marie de la Cruz)

The National Security Council (NSC) has justified that barangays in Davao City and the rest of Davao region are in need of socioeconomic development after being under the influence and threat of New People’s Army (NPA) for decades.

Responding to accusation of lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, in a news statement, said Davao City and the rest of Davao region “are qualified” to be given allocations under the Barangay Development Program (BDP).

Earlier, members of the Makabayan bloc questioned the reported P1.58-billion counterinsurgency funds under the proposed 2021 budget of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to several barangays in Davao City.

Esperon said the NTF-ELCAC has carefully verified that said areas are vulnerable to the threat of communist groups.

According to Esperon, vice chairman of the NTF-ELCAC, the presence of NPA rebels has long been a factor that has hindered the development of Mindanao, the Davao region and of Davao City.

Records showed that of the five Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army Regional Party Committee in Mindanao, four are in Eastern Mindanao, namely, Northeast Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC); the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC); South Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC); and the Far South Mindanao Regional Committee (FSMRCC).

“The fact remains that there are numerous isolated and remote barangays within Davao City. Hence, with the large land are of Davao City, there still a need for development and infrastructure for the growth of the city,” Esperon said.

Also, contrary to the claim of Makabayan bloc that there are no armed conflicts in Davao City, Esperon said within the city is an existing armed guerilla unit called Pulang Bagani Command and that the SMRC comprises five sub-units threatening the largest city in the country.

From 2016 to the present, Esperon said security forces were able to dismantle four guerilla fronts in Davao City; two in Davao de Oro; three in Davao del Norte; two in Davao Occidental; two in Davao Oriental; and one in Davao del Sur.

Over the years, Esperon further said, these guerilla fronts controlling access to barangays prevent developmental projects from entering their strongholds and therefore leading to a cycle of poverty; isolation; hunger; and lack of educational and livelihood opportunities.

A total of 215 barangays in Davao region were cleared of NPA influence and are now ripe for developmental projects through the BDP.

“For progress to begin, communities must be first freed from the threat and influence of the NPA. The dismantling of guerilla fronts necessitates a comprehensive process of improving coordination between security operations and developmental intervention projects,” Esperon said.

As a flagship project of the government, the BDP offers to every barangay a package of socio-development programs such as P12 million farm-to-market roads; P3 million school buildings; P2 million water and sanitation system; P1.5 million health sanitation and P1.5 million livelihood and other projects.

For Davao City, Esperon pointed out that the city is in need of school buildings to replace the Salugpungan schools, which were operated as NPA training centers. There are 55 Salugpungan schools in the entire Davao region.

Currently, the administration has identified at least 822 barangays cleared of NPA threats, to be included in the BDP to be carried by the NTF-ELCAC. The BDP will provide each barangay a P20-million socio-economic development package.