DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The Armed Forces’ Eastern Mindanao Command announced that it will create a “joint task force” that will augment the Task Force Davao with air force and naval components to better secure the city and its neighboring areas.
“If you look at it, the Task Force Davao right now is composed only of land forces. What this joint task force means is that we will add naval and air force components while also expanding the area of responsibility of this joint task force for it to better secure Davao City. We will also include Samal and the municipalities in the periphery of Davao City,” said Army spokesman Major Ezra Balagtey Balagtey on September 21, Wednesday morning.
Public Safety and Security Command Center chief retired Major General Benito de Leon lauded the move, saying that it makes coordination easier.
“It means that I will only need to speak to one person. I won’t have to gather all these components anymore,” De Leon said.
Balagtey also announced the formation of an “inter-agency task force terrorism” which will streamline the process of information consolidation among concerned government agencies and security forces.
He said said this task force will include uniformed services like the Philippine National Police, Coast Guard, the Army, and the National Bureau of Investigation and agencies mandated to enforce law such as the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Immigration, and the Department of Foreign Affairs.
“Our agencies will converge to share information so that all gaps in security and information will be covered, from ports, the air, and the maritime,” Balagtey said. (davaotoday.com)
