Senior undersecretary Jose C. Faustino, Jr., Officer-in-Charge of Department of National Defense, lauded the entire Davao Region for accomplishing a “seemingly impossible task” of clearing the region from insurgency.
During the “Declaration of Davao Region as Insurgency-Free and Relaunching of Davao Region as Tourism and Investment-Ready Destination” on Thursday, Undersecretary Faustino joined President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in heralding a new era of peace and development for Mindanao’s largest economy.
“Declaring the region as insurgency-free is very close to my heart. For years, I have been a part of the efforts to address the security threats in the region as commander JTF-Mindanao, and previously as commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command,” said Undersecretary Faustino.
The Defense Chief underscored that development and peace should come simultaneously, and not one after the other. “This is an achievement not only on the part of the military but for all our partners and stakeholders,” he said. “Through our whole-of-government and whole-of-nation efforts embodied by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, what seemed impossible for the last few decades is now a reality.”
President Marcos also emphasized the impact and importance of the holistic anti-insurgency efforts of the government. “The NTF-ELCAC added many new dimensions to the concept. And that whole-of-nation concept that was attached to the NTF-ELCAC was I think what brought us success,” the Commander-in-Chief said.
The event is the culmination of the series of resolutions of the respective Provincial Peace and Order Councils proclaiming Davao City, Davao Norte, Davao de Oro, Davao Sur, Davao Occidental, and finally, Davao Oriental as insurgency-free.
“Lahat ng ito ay ginagawa natin para sa bayan,” Undersecretary Faustino said. “Mahalin natin ang ating bayan.”(VICTOR RUIZ BALDEMOR)
