PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE

10TH INFANTRY (AGILA) DIVISION, PHILIPPINE ARMY

Naval Station Felix Apolinario, Panacan, Davao City
Landline No.: (082) 235-1041

Press Release 27 September 2010

Army’s peace and development efforts gain grounds in Compostela Valley Province

Soldiers belonging to the Peace and Development Teams (PDT) of the 10th
Infantry Division are gaining headway in their efforts to defeat the insurgents and win
the hearts and minds of the people. This development is manifested in the favorable
comments of the local government leaders, civilians and non-government organizations,
by the series of surrender of active and former members of the underground movement,
implementation of joint activities and successful conduct of security operations.

The first batch of PDTs was deployed in the different barangays of Mawab and
Nabunturan, Compostela Valley Province earlier this month. Carrying firearms as
secondary weapons, the soldiers join community activities, conduct assessments and
workshops with civilians in the planning of developmental projects that will uplift the
living condition of the people. Through massive information campaign about
government programs, civilians became more aware and active in joining community
activities such as the “Dengue Awareness and Prevention Advocacy” program which
involved the local government officials, the youth and student sector, other people’s
organizations and the Army’s 1001st Infantry Brigade. The program was also adopted by
the 66th Infantry Battalion that spearheaded the program in the municipality of New
Bataan on September 22. The 71st Infantry Battalion, in coordination with the local
government unit of Maco, Compostela Valley Province and the Philippine National Red
Cross, conducted a blood letting program to help dengue victims and buffer the blood
stock of PNRC.

The usual branding of these activities by militant organizations as an act of

“militarization” did not hold water to mobilize people into joining mass actions calling for
the pull-out of soldiers from the civilian communities. Instead, harmonious relationship
was established between the soldiers and the community, a situation that made the
insurgents more jealous that prompted them to initiate provocative actions like
harassments of military patrol bases and employment of improvised explosive device
(IED) to inflict casualties in the government troops. In many instances, however,
soldiers get the information about the presence of armed persons belonging to the New
People’s Army from the people allowing the government forces to take preemptive
measures such as security patrols and checkpoints in order to secure the people.

Just lately, three NPA members surrendered to the PDT deployed in Barangay
Andili, Mawab, Compostela Valley Province. Renie Panganuron Egsulan a.k.a. Kiagor,
a team leader; Junard Sawiling Montes a.k.a. Levie; and Jake Montejo Panganuron
a.k.a. Renz voluntarily presented themselves to the government soldiers on September
24 to show their support to the government. The three formerly belonged to the Sentro
de Grabidad of Guerilla Front 27 of the Southern Mindanao Regional Party Committee.
Another person showed up late in the afternoon of that same day claiming he was a
member of same NPA unit. The surrenderee is still a minor whose age is 15.

“Junjun”, not his real name, was accompanied by the local government official of
said barangay to the members of the PDT. “Junjun” narrated how he was recruited by
a.k.a Binoy, a member of Guerilla Front 27 whose main task is to extort from private
companies and ordinary civilians in Mawab, by a promise that the NPA would support
him in his studies. One week after their initial conversation, “Junjun”, a first year high
school student, reported to a.k.a. Binoy at Sitio San Isidro, Nuevo Iloco, Mawab,
Compostela Valley with the hope of getting the promised support but the NPA did not
only held him against his will but also gave him a different kind of education- lecture
about revolutionary ideas and training on warfighting. His young physique could not
simply bear the exhaustion and hunger so he ran away and sought the assistance of the
PDT.

Still early on its deployment, the Army’s peace and development teams have
already accomplished significant feats. They have uncovered how the NPA prey on
unarmed civilians who work in the mining and banana industries in Maco for huge
financial profit. The information volunteered by many civilians to the PDT about the
presence of the armed group frequenting their place to extort money from them enabled
the government troops to initiate security measures to drive away the armed
extortionists and protect the people. In a mid-day encounter on September 25 at the
vicinity of Purok 7, Sitio Taglawig, Barangay Panoraon, Maco, troopers from the 71st
Infantry Battalion overran a temporary NPA encampment and seized fragments of
exploded IED parts, magazines for assault rifles, subversive documents and military
uniforms. No one from the government troops was wounded in the 10-minute armed
skirmishes.

The 10th Infantry Division, Philippine Army will continue to deploy Peace and
Development Teams in the communities primarily for the conduct of community works.
This is a proactive measure that the Command under the leadership of Major General
Jorge V. Segovia has adopted in order to help impoverished civilian communities and
contribute in eliminating conditions that the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) is
exploiting to recruit new party members and NPA fighters.

Indeed, the 10ID’s peace and development efforts have already gained grounds
but still there is a long way to go. With the support of the LGU and the cooperation of
the people, their noble objective of establishing lasting peace in our communities is sure
of being accomplished.

Released by:

LTC MEDEL M AGUILAR PA

Public Information Officer
Email add: dpao10id@yahoo.com