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
