Insurgency: Families Evacuate

Recall that last year the entire Davao region was declared insurgency free in 2022. That means there have been no sightings of NPA fighters or any terrorist attacks. Now the Governor of Davao is touting that status. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196752

Governor Dorothy Gonzaga highlighted the positive gains of being an insurgency-free province during the opening of the Bulawan Festival here Monday.

Gonzaga underscored the importance of the declaration of the province, as well as the entire Davao Region, as free from the active presence of communist rebels, in attaining peace and promoting development, especially in the far-flung areas.

“We thank the police and military forces for making Davao de Oro safe and free from the presence of the rebel group. We commit to providing you with our all-out support or whatever ways we can help you in return,’ the governor said.

Davao de Oro was declared insurgency-free in June last year.

Four months later, the Davao Region was also declared insurgency-free following the peace and order initiatives that dismantled the remnants of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in the area.

In a separate interview, Col. Felix Ronnie Babac, the newly-installed commander of the Army's 1001st Infantry Brigade, said that sustaining the peace in the province has been very challenging.

“There’s a saying that it is more difficult to sustain peace than fight a war. We have to ensure that they should always have the basic services given by the government for them so as not to be deceived by the NPA anymore,” Babac said.

Sustaining the peace has been very challenging? That does not sound good at all. Nor does the prescription of ensuring people have basic services provided by the government so the people are not "deceived by the NPA anymore."

If the government is not providing basic services which the people pay for through their taxes then that is a problem. Yet we see time and time again the government proudly declaring that the building of new roads will stop the insurgency. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1131676

President Rodrigo R. Duterte said Tuesday there is a need to improve barangay (village) roads in Mindanao, especially in the Caraga region, to address the insurgency there.

“I need the barangay roads to improve the insurgency problem sa lahat dito, lalo na sa (especially in) Mindanao. The pinaka-malakas is Caraga, sa Eastern Visayas (It is strongest in Caraga and Eastern Visayas),” he said in a situation briefing in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur.

Sure that article is from 2021 but the problem remains. The Philippines is incredibly underdeveloped. If the solution to the insurgency is to build roads it would seem to be rather easy to start getting to work constructing roads. But nothing is that easy and the insurgency persists despite the constant road building and the bribery program known as the ELAC.

Let's hear more of what "Col. Felix Ronnie Babac, the newly-installed commander of the Army's 1001st Infantry Brigade" has to say.

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1955098/davao/local-news/1001st-ib-welcomes-new-commander

THE Philippine Army's 1001st Infantry Brigade (IB) has a new commander more than a month since its former chief was involved in the killing of a Davao-based businesswoman and model.

In a press release, Colonel Ronnie Babac took over the post as the new 1001st IB commander during a formal ceremony held at the Brigade Headquarters on Friday, March 3, 2023.

The ceremony was presided over by 10th Infantry Division (10ID) commander Major General Jose Eriel Niembra.

In his speech, Babac said he will lead his brigade in serving the community.

"I promise to uphold the mandate given to me," he underscored.

The new commander also said that his leadership would continue the peace and development in the region, and would ensure that insurgency groups will not be able to return and cause terroristic and violent activities.

"We cannot allow the rebels to be back again and regain their former strongholds,” Babac said.

Oh man the first sentence. Hahaha. Wow. But how can the rebels regain their former strongholds if Davao is insurgency free!! That is ridiculous and belies the fact that Davao is actually insurgency free!!

The newly installed commander of the 1003rd Infantry Brigade which is based in Davao has promised to sustain these alleged gains. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196659

A new commander of the 1003rd Infantry Brigade (1003IB) has promised to continue the gains that his predecessor has achieved in preventing the resurgence of the New People’s Army (NPA).

Col. Marion Angcao, who replaced Brig. Gen. Consolito Yecla as commander of the 1003IB, made his promise during the Change of Command rites at Camp Don Mariano in Barangay Malagos, Davao City on Saturday.

"We will continue to adopt innovative approaches and evolve to overcome whatever challenges posed before this unit -- to continue the gains in preventing the resurgence of the New People’s Army. [We] will collectively strive for excellence as we carry on the legacy set by my predecessor," he said.

Well that is news from Davao. They say keeping the peace is hard and we have to prevent the resurgence of the NPA. Now let's take a look at Bohol. 

In 2022 Bohol was declared to be insurgency free. 

https://pia.gov.ph/news/2022/10/03/army-pnp-npa-ctgs-dismantled-in-bohol

The communist terrorist group (CTG) of the New People’s Army (NPA) have been dismantled in Bohol. 

This forms the gist of the report which the 47th Infantry Battalion shared to the media during the weekly Capitol Reports featuring Bohol’s peace and order situation.

Speaking for Lt. Col. Allysion Depayso, commanding officer of the 47th Infantry Brigade (IB) based in Camp Rajah Silatuna in Katipunan Carmen, 47IB Executive Officer Major Jason Torino reported on the dwindling number of armed terrorist group members in the province. 

“Based on the periodic reports status which the Army and police joint task force receive, from 18 members of the armed terrorist group in Bohol, there are now only 10,” Torino said. 

“They cannot conduct anymore offensives against the government,” he continued, adding that they have also recently recovered the harbor site of the communist terrorist guerillas.

Bohol Provincial Commander of the Philippine National Police (PNP) based in Camp Dagohoy said that the situation in Bohol, “based on the joint letter directive of the PNP and the AFP, states that the communist terrorist group of the CPP-NPA has been dismantled and that this group has not been considered a threat.”

“They are not anymore considered a threat.  They now have 10 men and some 11 firearms,” the top police chief said.

10 men and 11 firearms is not dismantled!!!  Dismantled means there are NO NPA fighters left. Let's cut to the present day which is only six months later. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1197104

The Visayas Command (Viscom) has confirmed that more than 30 families evacuated as soldiers from the 47th Infantry Battalion clashed with an armed group in the hinterland village of Hanopol Norte in Balilihan town, Bohol province on Thursday afternoon.

Maj. Israel Galorio, Viscom public information officer, could not confirm the identities of the group whether they are members of the New People’s Army (NPA) or just “lawless elements” operating in the area.

However, the Balilihan Police Station identified the armed men as members of the NPA.

There were no casualties reported in the clash.

Galorio said the families that evacuated due to the encounter have returned to their homes on Friday. Soldiers are staying in the area “to make sure the residents are safe” while security operations are ongoing, he added.

Some of the villagers sought refuge in the house of the barangay chairperson while others went to the barangay hall when the clash erupted, he noted.

“We have recovered a rifle grenade, a magazine of AK-47, and several ammunitions left in the area. We have a sustained security operation to clear the area of any armed elements,” Galorio told the Philippine News Agency in an interview.

For his part, Chief Master Sergeant Ralph Renoblas of the local police said the exchange of gunfire occurred in Sitio Lusad, Purok 3 at around 4:50 p.m.

He added that seven armed men retreated after shooting it out with the government troopers for about 10 minutes.

Hanopol Norte barangay chairperson Teodico Mancha said there had been no previous reports of NPA presence in his village prior to the encounter.

Oh look. Now the NPA is back!! The thing is Bohol was declared insurgency free back in 2010.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1024801

As Bohol commemorates the 8th year of being insurgent-free on Sunday, the top Army official in the province said he is ready to accept the challenge to sustain that status.

Col. Ignacio Madriaga, commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade, said on Friday the AFP is ready to cooperate, coordinate and be a partner to all the programs of the government in Bohol as he accepts the bigger responsibility to sustain the insurgent-free status of the province.

Madriaga lauded the leadership of Governor Edgar Chatto for sustaining the status of Bohol since it was declared insurgent-free on February 11, 2010.

Well apparently they have not been able to sustain it.  It really goes to show that the AFP should not declare  any region to be insurgency free until the insurgency is actually defeated.