MISAMIS OCCIDENTAL (PIA) — The insurgency-free status of Misamis Occidental went through a series of validations as a result of the efforts of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) in pushing for peace and order in the province, said LtCol Nelson Boticario, commanding officer, 10th Infantry Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, Philippine Army.
“Kami ang nag-propose kung clear na ang area at pwede na siyang insurgency-free through a validation committee, being organized between AFP and PNP,” Boticario said.
(We are the ones who proposed if the area is cleared and it can be called insurgency-free through a validation committee being organized between AFP and PNP.)
After the dismantling of the final rebel group in December last year, Philippine Army Major General Gabriel Viray, commander of the 1st Infantry (Tabak) Division, announced the official declaration together with Governor Henry Oaminal Sr. that the province has become insurgency-free.
For over 50 years, Misamis Occidental has faced formidable challenges posed by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) rebel groups, particularly the guerilla fronts Joji and Sendong of the Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee (WMRPC).
Groups like Guerrilla Front Sendong have wreaked havoc in the province since the 1970s, creating an environment so dire that government agencies were hesitant to reach remote areas, leaving residents without essential services.
The provincial government of Misamis Occidental stepped up its efforts to facilitate the peaceful surrender of rebels, offering incentives such as financial rewards or livelihood packages for their return to the community.
According to 10thIB, funds from the province expedited their operations, fostered greater cooperation among the populace, and bolstered the efforts of their units on the ground to dismantle the last remaining guerrilla front in the [Zamboanga] Peninsula and Misamis Occidental.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos will grace the special declaration of insurgency-free status of Misamis Occidental province on September 27 at the Tangub City Global College Sports Complex in Tangub City.
During the event, the President will turn over cash assistance to 120 former rebels and beneficiaries of the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) (JMOR/PIA-10/Misamis Occidental)
