INSURGENCY-FREE

16 of Davao City’s barangays recommended to be declared cleared, peaceful

Sixteen barangays recommended conflict–resilient evaluation as insurgency-affected cleared, in Davao team by communities peaceful, an to City inter-agency be were declared and to Board the Area (ACVB). Clearing Validation AFP-PNP Speaking press during forum yesterday’s at Task Force Davao headquarters, Philippine Army’s 1003rd Infantry Brigade commander Brigadier General Ernesto Torres Jr. said these barangays passed the parameters set for a village to be declared as insurgency-free. Based Program on the update, Community these barangays Support are Gumalang, Dacudao, Dalagdag, Lampiano and Lacson in Calinan District; Baganihan, Magsaysay in Marilog; Atan-awe, Kilate and Tagluno in Toril; Pandaitan, Fatima and Sumimao in Paquibato; Tigatto and Indangan in Buhangin and Barangay Gatungan in Bunawan District. “In clearing of a barangay, it is not unilaterally being declared by the military. Kasama natin ang police, local chief executive, meaning barangay captains, [and] Davao City Government,” Torres said. These officials, he said, will sit in a board that were and validate previously the affected barangays (NPA) and by the were New recommended People’s Army by the area clearing evaluation board to have no longer affected by communist group. Torres said that this might be validated by the ACVB in October. In the area of responsibility of the 1003rd Brigade covering Davao City and Davao del Norte, there were a total of 105 insurgency-affected barangays and of this number, there were already a total of 48 that were cleared. Should this 16 be approved, then, there will be a total of 64 cleared barangays. /