PIA Davao Region

DAVAO CITY, Feb. 8 (PIA) – With the neutralization of some high profiled leaders of the New Peoples’ Army and the remaining (3) three guerrilla groups, the Philippine Army expects the NPA to have a weakened leadership right after the fall of Menandro Villanueva or Ka Bok and the dismantling of Sub-Regional Committee (SRC) 5 and the Southern Mindanao Regional Command (SMRC).   However, with the coming National and Local election, the remaining forces could still pursue their extortion activities as disclosed by the Phil. Army 10th ID under the Joint Task Force Agila in a   presentation of their accomplishments during the Regional Peace and Order Council held at the Police Regional Office XI in Camp Sgt. Quintin Merecido in Buhangin, Davao City last Friday ( February 4). Data from the 10 th ID showed that in 2016, the division confronted 9 Sub-Regional Command, 17 guerilla fronts, 6 Pulang Bagani Companies composed of 33 NPA platoons.   With the change of administration and the implemen

DAVAO DEL NORTE, Jan. 06 (PIA)—Kapalong Municipal Mayor Maria Theresa has cited the importance of Executive Order No. 70 of President Rodrigo Duterte on ending   the persisting problem regarding local insurgency. Guesting at Network Briefing   News, Timbol confessed   having found it easier for her to secure assistance from national line agencies for various peace and development interventions in insurgency- affected areas. “Mas madali na po talaga with EO (Executive Order) 70 dahil ang mga NGAs na po ang lumalapit sa mga local government units, kaya mas madali ma-access ang pondo (It is much easier with EO 70 because the NGAs are the ones coming down   at the local government levels, that’s why it is easier to access funds),” she said. She revealed   the 300 housing unit-projects of the National Housing Authority (NHA) for indigenous people’s communities of Kapalong’s IP Barangay Gupitan, and the nurses and midwives paid and deployed by   the Department of Health (DOH) to IP communiti

Maj. Gen. Ernesto Torres with a recent NPA surrenderer DAVAO DEL NORTE, Nov. 23 (PIA) -- Major General Ernesto Torres Jr. of the 10 th  Infantry Division recently cited  Executive Order No. 70 as “very effective mechanism” to permanently address all the problems brought about by insurgency”.   He made the statement  as he appealed  lawmakers in Congress and in the Senate to reconsider their  move to slash lean the budget for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) created thru  E.O. 70 issued by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to focus on addressing the more than 5-decade local communist insurgency problem.   Looking back, Torres recalled the insurgency problem was used to  be primarily addressed only by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).   He confessed the military to  have tried a number of campaign plans such as the  “Lambat Bitag”  among others,  but he said the  gains of such were found not sustainabl

DAVAO DEL NORTE, Nov. 4 (PIA)--- Agila Division commander has expressed hope for the next Presidential administration to support Executive Order No. 70 which institutionalizes the whole of government approach on ending local communist armed conflict.   Guesting at Kapihan sa DavNor, Major General Ernesto C. Torres  of the 10 th  Infantry “Agila” Division viewed E.O. 70  as “the right mechanism to end local communist armed conflict”, having cited a number of campaign  methodologies tried by  the armed forces to end communist insurgency in the Philippines.   “Let’s just hope that the next commander-in-chief and President would be supportive of this particular campaign of ending local communist armed conflict otherwise, there is the risk of going back to square one which all of us peace-loving Filipinos would feel bad about,” he said during such special episode of Kapihan sa DavNor that banners the theme, “Peace Culture and Peace Consciousness.”   In a separate press conference, Torres ex