According to Captain Mark Anthony Tito, the spokesman of 10th ID said the military and local officials declared the province insurgency free in a ceremony held at Davao del Norte Gym in Mankilam, Tagum City on Monday, June 13.
Tito said in 2016, four GFs to include GF 3, GF GF 34, and the Pulang Bagani Command (PBC) 4 under the Sub-Regional Committee (SRC) 4; and Guerilla Front 55 of SRC 5, all under the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC) of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) operating in said province had been destroyed by the government troops.
Also, GF 34 was dismantled in 2019 while GF 33 and PBC 4 were dismantled and destroyed in 2020 respectively.
It was then followed by the dismantling of GF 55 operating in Talaingod town in 2021.
Early this year, 10th ID were able to destroy GF 3, which is considered as the oldest guerilla front in the country. .
Tito attributed the successful implementation of the Development Support and Security Plan (DSSP) "Kapayapaan", and later, the Executive Order No. 70 which institutionalized the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in the counterinsurgency campaign of the military in partnership with the provincial government unit.
The declaration happened after Governor Edwin I Jubahib issued Resolution Number 08 series of 2022, declaring the province of Davao del Norte and its component cities and municipalities as "insurgency-free province".
Maj. Gen. Nolasco A Mempin, 10th ID commander admitted that the campaign against communist insurgency in the province was not an easy journey, especially for its local government units and the communities who were directly affected by the lies and violence perpetrated by the CTG.
Mempin said the dismantling of the CTG means that military and police together with other various government agencies were able to totally neutralize, if not significantly diminish the enemy to their smallest size, including its strength, firearms, and their ability to recruit, train, organize, or recover their mass bases or areas.
Photo from 10th ID