EastMinCom joins LGU Davao City as it marks first year as insurgency free
The Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) joined the City Government of Davao and its people as they celebrated the 1st Anniversary of Davao City's Victory Declaration as insurgency free at the Rizal Park, Poblacion District, on May 24.
Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio led local government and military officials in commemorating the event.
Duterte expressed her gratitude to the military and police forces for successfully ending the insurgency in Davao City, emphasizing her desire to sustain the success and achieve an insurgency-free nation.
"This is a success that must be sustained. And this can only be done if we do not abandon our strength as a community or our shared dreams as a nation. As we move forward, I hope that one day soon, we wake up to the news that the entire Philippines is already NPA terrorist-free. Let us make this happen," she said.
The event signifies a year of peace and stability in the City with no reported presence of Communist NPA Terrorists (CNTs) after the City Government of Davao memorialized the declaration on March 24, 2022, through the passage of City Resolution No. 0115-22.
Lt Gen. Greg Almerol, Eastern Mindanao Command chief, said the remarkable achievement of Davao City, then under the leadership of Mayor Sara Duterte, set off a domino effect across the Davao Region, leading to the subsequent declarations of insurgency-free in just a year.
It can be recalled that in 2022, Davao del Sur (May 25), Davao del Norte (June 13), Davao Occidental (June 16), Davao de Oro (June 20), Davao Oriental (September 19), and Davao Region (October 12) were declared insurgency-free behind Davao City after the Eastern Mindanao Command dismantled all remaining guerilla fronts and cleared all barangays from communist terrorist group influence in the region.
From 2017 to 2022, the Eastern Mindanao Command dismantled 28 out of the 33 communist terrorist group guerilla fronts and 11 out of 22 vertical units in its joint operational area, most of which were achieved during the term of Almerol. It also represents 41% of the overall achievement of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
In his message during the event, Almerol thanked the people of Davao City for their collective strength, commitment, and unwavering support to the military and their LGU, which paved the City to achieve freedom from the communist insurgency.
He also vowed to prevent any resurgence of the communist terrorist group in Davao and to finish the remaining guerilla fronts in other regions that are part of Eastern Mindanao Command's joint operational area.
"Together we will ensure that the shadows of insurgency are a thing of the past and that the splendor of peace illuminates our beloved region. It is only a matter of time until we dismantle the four remaining CTG ( communist terrorist group) units in Regions 10, 12, and 13 and finally declare an insurgency-free Eastern Mindanao,” Almerol said. PIO, Eastern Mindanao Command
