DAVAO CITY -- It would have been a rosy picture for Davao City in 2017. Growth was on the uptrend at 9.4 percent and construction was booming.
The numbers in crime index and volume were decreasing. Although rebellion and terrorism impact on the city’s situation, Davao City remains the top destination for investments and tourism in 2017.
Until on the night of December 22 when Davao River overflowed due to heavy rains brought by Tropical Storm Vinta which hit several provinces and cities in Mindanao, including Davao City.
The flood brought havoc to 20,000 families from 25 barangays from the upland to downtown areas. They settled in evacuation centers. Some even spent Christmas and New Year’s eve outside the comfort of their homes.
And barely addressing the needs of the evacuees, the fire hit the city’s home-grown New City Commercial Center (NCCC) in the morning of December 23. This left 38 people dead, 36 of them call center agents of the Survey Sampling International (SSI)and one employee of the NCCC Mall. Another SSI call agent is still missing.
The Bureau of Fire Protection estimated the damage at P1.6 billion. The incident is still under investigation.
It was the worst incident in terms of lives lost.
The two tragedies prompted Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to cancel the rest of the Pasko Fiesta activities, including the yearly “Torotot Festival” to welcome the New Year.
“This is no time for merry-making,” she said. She asked for prayers for the victims of the flood and the fire.
Rebel front
The year 2017 was also marked by the ongoing rebellion of the communist New People’s Army (NPA).
This despite the peace negotiations between the government and Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDF) at the start of the Duterte administration.
Few days after the third round of talks in January in Rome, Italy, the NPA leadership in Mindanao terminated its unilateral ceasefire.
Disappointed by the NPA’s move, President Duterte responded by canceling the government’s unilateral ceasefire and canceled the talks.
This was followed by an order to arrest of the NDF consultants, who were provisionally released on bail. One of them, Ariel Arbitrario, was arrested a month after the order.
In November, the President finally issued the proclamation declaring the CPP-NPA as terror organizations.
The communist rebels have continued to wreak havoc on the lives of the people especially in the hinterlands and lumads who are perceived supporters of the military.
Rebels even attacked the convoy of the President Security Group (PSG) in Arakan, Cotabato on July 19, 2017.They were on their way to Marawi from Davao City.
The NPA also attacked a military detachment in Barangay Carmen, Baguio District, Davao City, and the pineapple plantation also in Baguio District.
They intensified their extortion activities. The NPA reportedly earned about P1 billion extortion money from mining, business establishments, government, construction firms, and the banana industry.
Rebels burned down the box and packing plants of the Lapanday Foods Corporation in Buhangin and Bunawan in April. Losses prompted Lapanday to fold up the two plants.
.But the military also scored against the rebels.
The military’s community engagement drew NPA rebels to surrender. On the other hand, assorted high-powered firearms that were seized during encounters.
The firearms and NPA surrenderers were presented to President Rodrigo Duterte during his visit at Eastern Mindanao command at Naval station F elix Apolinario, Camp Panacan on December 21, 2017.
According to the Philippine Army, Davao City is a top target of the NPA and terrorist because it is home to President Duterte.
Davao is the national priority in the intensified operations against the communists as the region has a strong presence of the rebels.
Lt. Gen. Rolando Joselito Bautista, the Army’s commanding general, said seasoned and veteran communist rebels are in Davao because they can easily get money by extorting business companies and plantations.
“We have to convince the businessmen, particularly the plantation owners, not to give in to the demands of the group,” Bautista told reporters in an interview during the send-off ceremony of the 89th Infantry Battalion in the 10th Infantry Division (10ID) headquarters at Camp Manuel Yan Sr in Mawab, Compostela Valley.
He said the NPA can stage large-scale offensives in the region because they have the resources. The army chief said fighting the NPAs in Davao is a “challenge.”
Terrorism
In May this year, the President declared Martial Law in Mindanao after the siege of Marawi city by the Maute terrorist group.
With the declaration of martial law and the government campaign against Maute, the Maute clan escaped to other places.
The patriarch of the clan, Cayamora Maute, was arrested by a joint police and military operative at the Task Force Davao checkpoint in Barangay Sirawan, Toril District in June.
Cayamora was the father of Maute leaders, Omar and Abdullah, whose group was tagged by the military as behind the September 2 Roxas night market bombing that killed 15 persons and wounded 69 others.
Also held for questioning are Norjannah Balawag Maute (Cayamora’s daughter), Kongan Alfonso Balawag (his second wife), Benzarali Tingao (son-in-law and husband of Norjannah) and driver Aljon Salazar Ismael.
Police operations
The Davao City Police Office (DCPO) countered efforts to maintain peace and order in Davao City. It launched Oplan Tokhang under Oplan Double Barrel and Iron City.
In January this year, the visited more than 26,000 houses in their Oplan Tokhang since the intensified Double Barrel Project against illegal drugs was implemented October 2016.
The figure is more than double the 12,000-house quota given by the Police Regional Office (PRO XI) for the DCPO to visit until December 31, 2016.
In the same period, the DCPO also conducted a total of 122 buy-bust operations with 183 suspects arrested. Ten suspects were “neutralized.”
DCPO also has done cleansing of the ranks. Four policemen tagged in illegal drugs were placed on floating status.
The city police also launched the neighborhood watch called IRON (Integrated Revitalized Operation of Neighborhood-Watch of the Mega City (Oplan IRON City), which aims for “a safer Mega Davao.”
Under Oplan IRON City, the police auxiliary unit as additional forces were reactivated to help the police in securing the city, said DCPO director Sr. Supt. Alexander Tagum.
“We understand the importance of community empowerment,” Tagum said.
“If the local police will have no support in the community, then we are bound to fail.
All these initiatives by the military and the police have kept the city safe. (Rhoda Grace Saron/PNA)
