AFP top brass meets Davao mayor over conflict areas

DAVAO CITY--Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of staff Carlito Galvez Jr. met with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday to discuss issues involving the conflict areas here.

Galvez, together with Eastmincom commander Lt. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, tackled with Mayor Sara the government's development programs in areas where there is presence of the communist New People’s Army (NPA), particularly the Paquibato District.

Mayor Sara briefed the AFP top brass on the local government's Peace 911 initiative and also underscored the importance of continued coordination between the city government and the military to achieve a just and lasting peace in the city.

“We discussed the areas where we can collaborate with them to achieve just and lasting peace in our city,” the mayor said. Also present during the meeting were Maj. Gen. Noel Clement, 10th Infantry Division commander, and Maj Gen Macairog Alberto, the chief of the Intelligence Service of the AFP.

Mayor Sara said that while the military's main objective is "their operation because that is their expertise," she sees the need to emphasize the local government's role in addressing the root causes of rebellion.

She pointed out that poverty remains the primary reason why civilians join the NPA, Peace 911's initiative in bringing "social services, infrastructure, livelihood" and other forms of interventions was crucial.

On May 10, the city government launched the Peace 911 in Paquibato Proper in Paquibato District, one of the known strongholds of the NPA in the 80’s. The peace and order situation in the area is blamed for the area's underdevelopment.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) 11 has earlier vowed to pour billions worth of infrastructure projects in Paquibato District to help alleviate the living conditions of the residents.

Among the infrastructure projects that the NEDA promised is the road concreting to provide people better access to the market and government services.

“There will be a lot of projects that NEDA has prepared together with other agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for Paquibato District to help them in their daily lives,” NEDA-11 Director Maria Lourdes Lim said in an interview during the Association of Regional Executives of National Agencies (ARENA) XI caravan last month. (Funny Pearl Gajunera/PNA)