THE APPOINTMENT of Mayor Sebastian Duterte as the chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) received the full backing of the security forces here, believing that he can help sustain the gains against insurgency.
Newly promoted Major Mark Anthony Tito, the 10th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office chief, told reporters in yesterday’s AFP-PNP Press briefing held at The Royal Mandaya hotel that they welcome the appointment of Duterte.
“Expect that whatever our gains accomplished for the past year will be sustained,” he said.
“So, we fully support our RPOC chairman, Mayor Baste Duterte,” he added.
“Of course, we support whoever will be seated as RPOC chairman. I’m sure that Mayor Sebastian Duterte can handle the job well, and he has a lot of experience here in Davao City that he can apply in RPOC,” Major Eudisan Gultiano, spokesperson of PRO XI, said.
Based on the Facebook page post of the Presidential Communications Office, Mayor Sebastian Duterte has been appointed the RPOC XI chairperson.
Completing the composition of the council are Major General Jose Eriel Niembra as the vice chair, the commander of the 10th Infantry Division, and Brig Gen Benjamin Silo Jr., director of Police Regional Office XI.
In October last year, Davao Region was declared “insurgency-free” following the series of peace and order initiatives that dismantled the remnants of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in the area.
Members of the Regional Peace and Order Council–Davao (RPOC-XI) signed a resolution declaring the entire region cleared of insurgents on Sept. 19, 2022. Davao became the third region in the country that eliminated the communist rebel threat, after regions I and IX.
In March last year, the city was declared insurgency-free, followed by Davao de Oro and Davao del Norte last June, Davao del Sur in July, Davao Occidental in August, and Davao Oriental in September.
