Lieutenant Gen. Greg Almerol, commander of the military's Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom). (PNA file photo) DAVAO CITY - The military's Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) has set up an anti-terrorism task force to boost security operations during the inauguration of Vice President-elect Sara Z. Duterte on June 19. Dubbed Joint Task Force (JTF) Haribon, Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol, the Eastmincom commander, said the group will oversee security measures that include "concepts and recommendations to improve and enhance their operations, against terrorists." Almerol designated Brig. Gen. Potenciano Camba, the Eastmincom deputy commander, as the overall head of JTF Haribon. Initial plans involved additional specialized and technical resources to the JTF Haribon coming from the 10th Infantry Division (10ID), Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao, Tactical Operations Wing Eastern Mindanao, and the Eastmincom headquarters, he said. "We will deploy our troops and all available
DISMANTLED. The military's Eastern Mindanao Command announces Monday (June 13, 2022) the collapse of the oldest New People's Army (NPA) in Davao Region. NPA's Guerilla Front was effectively dismantled following the surrender of its leaders and members on June 10, 2022 in Maragusan, Davao de Oro. (Photo courtesy of 10ID) DAVAO CITY-The military's Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) announced Monday the collapse of the New People's Army (NPA) Guerilla Front 2 (GF2), the oldest communist rebel unit operating in Mindanao. Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol, the Eastmincom commander, said the collapse stems from the surrender of the unit's top leaders to the Army's 10th Infantry Division's (10ID) in the hinterlands of Maragusan, Davao de Oro, on June 10. In a statement Monday, Eastmincom said GF 2 was one of the oldest guerilla fronts in the country along with GF3, which was earlier declared "dismantled" in April. Both guerilla fronts operated in the Davao Reg
Eastern Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol (PNA file photo) DAVAO CITY - The Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) reiterated on Monday its call to other communist New People's Army (NPA) members to surrender to avoid bloodshed. Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol, the Eastmincom commander, made the call following the death of five members of the communist New People's Army (NPA) in an encounter on February 24. In a statement, Almerol condoled with the families of the slain NPA members, whom he said were victims of deception and wrong ideology. The slain NPA members identified as Chad Booc, Jojarain Alce Nguho ll (alias Rain), a certain alias Daday, and two still unidentified men figured in an encounter in Purok-8, Barangay Andap, New Bataan, Davao de Oro. Booc, 27, graduated cum laude from the University of the Philippines-Diliman with a Bachelor of Computer Science degree. "This would not have happened if they took heed with our offer to abandon the armed struggle. Their onl
(File photo courtesy of A.R.T. Andin) DAVAO CITY - The Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) on Wednesday expressed full support for the proposal of Mayor Sara Z. Duterte to make military service among 18-year-old Filipino youth mandatory, saying their role is vital to the country's peace and development. "We believe that the role of our youth in the peace, development, and stability of our country is vital given the current security situation both internal and external," Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol, the Eastmincom commander, said in a statement Wednesday. Should she win as vice-president in the coming 2022 polls, Mayor Sara said she would ask Congress to pass a measure on the imposition of mandatory military service for all 18-year-old citizens, both male and female. "In other countries, the youth aged 18 or above have to serve their armed forces mandatorily for two years," Almerol said. He also pointed out that aside from modernized assets, the country needs more fo
DISMANTLED NPA SUB-REGIONAL GROUP. Leaders and members of the New People's Army's (NPA) Sub-Regional Committee (SRC) 5 have surrendered to the government on Jan. 13, 2022, which caused the total dismantling of the unit. Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol, commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) said the dismantling of SRC5 is also leading to the end of the Southern Mindanao Regional Command (SMRC). (PNA photo by Che Palicte) MAWAB, Davao de Oro- The Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) confirmed on Monday that they have successfully dismantled the New People's Army's (NPA) Sub-Regional Committee (SRC) 5, Southern Mindanao Regional Command (SMRC), after 12 of its mostly top-ranking leaders surrendered on January 13. In a press briefing at the 10th Infantry Division (10ID) headquarters here, Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol, the Eastmincom commander, said the surrenderers suffered defeat during an encounter in the hinterlands of Sitio Minalong, Barangay Kahusayan, Kitaotao, Bukid