Outgoing National Security Adviser (NSA) Secretary Hermogenes Esperon Jr. lauded the accomplishments of Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) as he paid a farewell visit to Lt.Gen. Greg Almerol and his troops on June 22.

Esperon expressed his delight over the performance of EastMinCom during his term, which he described as "superb," citing it had dismantled 78.7 percent of guerilla fronts.

" I could not believe it because, in Eastern Mindanao, it was here where the CPP-NPA was strongest. The change has been huge," he said.

"It was here where we had almost all of the guerilla fronts, and almost 70 percent of the NPA members come from the indigenous peoples. So, it is a big change that I am now seeing here. And, I think we are achieving a strategic victory," Esperon said.

His remark came afterAlmerol presented the accomplishments of EastMinCom from 2017 to 2022 under its Campaign Plan "Kalinaw Sidlakang Mindanao" and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Development Support and Security Plan (DSSP) “Kapayapaan.”

Some of them include the dismantling of 26 out of 33 guerilla fronts and nine out of 22 vertical units of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG); clearing of 855 barangays all over Eastern Mindanao from its influence; neutralization of 373 high-ranking CTG personalities; and recovery of 4,579 firearms and 1,384 anti-personnel mines.

Almerol highlighted the recent declaration of the provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao Occidental, Davao del Sur, and Davao de Oro, and the City of Davao as "insurgency-free" this year, following the dismantling of the CTG units.

He said that they are also eyeing to declare the whole Davao Region as free from insurgency before the end of 2022.

Almerol attributed the series of declarations and other accomplishments to the Command's focused military operations, the full cooperation of local leaders, and the support of the members of the National Task Force to Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

Retired Gen. Jose C. Faustino Jr., former EastMinCom Commander and AFP Chief of Staff, and the incoming Officer-in-Charge of the Department of National Defense (DND), as well as Gov. Edwin Jubahib of Davao del Norte also attended the activity.

Esperon, Faustino, Escobal, Okubo, and Jubahib were accorded military honors by the command and welcomed by Almerol. EastMinCom Public Information Office