Scores of police officers in full combat gear patrol along Roxas Avenue in Davao City on the first day of Martial Law in Mindanao on Wednesday, May 24. President Rodrigo Duterte, through Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella announced the declaration on Tuesday evening after a series of clashes erupted between government troops and members of the Maute in Marawi City. (Paulo C. Rizal/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The city council here is set to pass a resolution requesting President Rodrigo Duterte to deploy an additional army battalion to secure the city.
This was announced by City Councilor Nilo Abellera Jr. to reporters on Tuesday, June 6.
He added that they will also be requesting for two fast boats to guard the coastlines of Davao City.
Abellera, who chairs the council’s committee on peace and order said Davao City used to have three battalions as security contingent.
Of the three, two battalions were pulled out upon the orders of President Duterte.
Earlier requests resulted in the return of one battalion, but Abellera insisted the city council wanted to put Davao City into its former state of security.
He also told reporters that a separate resolution which is still pending for the approval of the City Legal Office will allow City Mayor Sara Duterte to enter into a memorandum of agreement with the 10th Infantry Division to organize, train, and employ additional Special Civilian Armed Forces Auxiliary Units.
Abellera expects for the passage and approval of said resolution next week.
For his part, Public Safety and Security Command Center Chief Benito De Leon said the additional forces will likely be deployed in the city’s uptown and midtown areas.
The uptown area covers Paquibato District, where several skirmishes between government troops and the New People’s Army have occurred..
The midtown area, he added, include Mandug, where security presence is considered sparse.
On April 29 this year, NPA guerrillas burned the packing plants of Lapanday Foods Corporation located in Barangay Mandug and Barangay Bunawan.
De Leon reiterated that the Task Force Davao only covers the downtown area of Davao City.
“We need more forces to cover that. In the meantime that there is a want for an infantry battalion, the mayor has directed the activation of special CAFGUs to put more manpower on the ground and help the military in its anti-insurgency campaign,” De Leon said. (davaotoday.com)
