Officials of the 1001st Infantry Brigade and the Davao de Oro Provincial Police Office (DDOPPO) committed to further fortify their partnership to sustain the gains of having an insurgency-free province.
During the Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Committee meeting on July 6, 2023, Brigadier General Felix Ronnie Babac, 1001st Infantry Brigade commander, and Police Colonel Benedicto Faco, DDOPPO provincial director, inked an agreement to strengthen collaboration in the conduct of peace, law enforcement, and development support operations to prevent the resurgence of the communist terrorist group (CTG) and sustain the province’s insurgency-free status.
The event was witnessed by Congressman Ruwel Peter Gonzaga, who was also representing Governor Dorothy Montejo-Gonzaga; commanders of the army units operating in the province; municipal chiefs of police; and the Department of Interior and Local Government – Davao de Oro.
Among the agreements was for both the army and police to conduct continuous identification and validation of potential resurgence areas in the province to ensure that problems and exploitable issues are being addressed by the concerned local government unit and line government agencies.
BGen Babac urged the security forces to remain committed, maintain vigilance, adapt to evolving threats, and continuously engage local communities to prevent resurgence of communist insurgency.
“Remember that in sustaining our gains from an insurgency-free area of responsibility requires a long-term commitment, as the underlying causes of insurgency can take time to address fully,” Babac said.
PCol Faco committed their full support and said that fostering a harmonious working relationship of the government security forces will lead towards the attainment of the same objective – to serve and protect the people.
It can be recalled that Davao de Oro was declared an Insurgency-free province last June 22, 2022, signifying the total victory of the People from the Communist NPA Terrorists. (mlu/PIA Davao de Oro)
