MAJOR General Allan Hambala, commander of the 10th Infantry Division, revealed on Sunday that some battalions and companies have been deployed or about to be in Southern Luzon or the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) for election security.
Meanwhile, he said Davao Region has remained insurgency-free since October 2022, so they are recalibrating their trolls to hunt down 12 remnants of the New People’s Army (NPA).
“We were able to dismantle the NPA presence in the entire Davao region, and it remains insurgency-free. We also dismantled operations in Southern Bukidnon last March. Although we didn’t take a break for Christmas and New Year’s, we are now focused on the remaining 12 members of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee,” Hambala said.
“We were able to neutralize and arrest the acting NPA Secretary in Cotabato City, and later in Cagayan de Oro, after more than three months of operations. Eventually, we were successful in making the arrest,” he said during a media gathering at the 10th Infantry Division headquarters in Barangay Tuboran, Mawab, Davao de Oro, on Sunday, December 22.
Currently, the 10th Infantry Division has one battalion deployed in the 4th Infantry Division area, one division reconnaissance company in the 4ID area, and has placed another battalion on alert for possible deployment in Southern Luzon.
Another battalion is also on standby for potential deployment during the BARMM elections.
“This is the price we must pay for being vigilant and for dismantling all threats in the Davao region. Of course, we couldn’t have achieved this without your [media’s] help. You are the voice of the people in understanding what the 10th ID is doing. Since we have a limited audience, you are not only our voice, but also our watchdogs,” Hambala said.
“We are deeply grateful for your continued support, and we look forward to even more support in the coming year. I hope we can work together again during the elections. While we haven’t yet spoken with the Comelec, we will be supporting the commission to ensure the safe conduct of the national and local elections,” he added.
Photo courtesy of Rhoda Grace B Saron
