Areas under 10th Infantry Division now ‘insurgency-free’

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Local executives in southern regions on Wednesday, August 26, again assured of their support for the efforts of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division to restore normalcy, via humanitarian missions, in towns and cities that its units had cleared from the presence of the New People’s Army in recent years.

The territory of the 10th ID encompasses Region 11 and its capital, Davao City, parts of Bukidnon in Region 10, and Malungon province and General Santos City in Region 12, now all “insurgency-free,” achieved through the cooperation of local government units, leaders of indigenous communities and the different battalions under the division.

Radio reports on Wednesday stated that the feat was one of the highlights of the 10th ID’s 20th anniversary celebration last Saturday, something local executives and indigenous groups are proud about, accomplished with the help of their respective municipal, city and provincial governments.

Major Gen. Alvin Luzon, commander of the 10th ID, said liberating the cities and municipalities in the 10th ID's area of responsibility from the NPA would have been impossible if not for the direct involvement in the process of mayors, provincial officials and chieftains of indigenous tribes. 

Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza told reporters on Wednesday that their provincial government shall continue helping push forward the 10th ID's  reintegration to mainstream society of the NPAs from different towns in their province who had availed of the government’s reconciliation program for communist insurgents in recent months.

“We are thankful to the men and women in the 10^th Infantry Division, under Major Gen. Luzon, and to the residents in different municipalities in Cotabato for turning rebel bastions in the province into `peace zones,’ where peace and sustainable development are now spreading around,” said Taliño-Mendoza, chairperson of the inter-agency, multi-sector Regional Development Council 12.

The commemoration on Saturday of the 10th ID’s 20th anniversary was partly capped off with a 20-kilometer walk by its troops from Camp General Manuel T. Yan in Mawab, Davao de  Oro, where its headquarters is located, to different areas in the province.

South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., chairperson of the Regional Peace and Order Council 12, said while it is the Army's 6th Infantry Division securing all of the towns in their province and its capital, Koronadal City, he and his constituent-mayors supports the 10th ID’s peacekeeping missions in Malungon and in General Santos City, both in Region 12.

The 10th ID also covers Malungon and General Santos City, also declared insurgency-free recently by local executives and officials of its units in both areas and the Police Regional Office 12.

“Malungon and General Santos City are covered by the Regional Peace and Order Council 12. We in Region 12 are, thus, obliged to help keep the peace now in both areas,’’ Tamayo pointed out.