Task group to boost counter-terrorism drive launched in Kidapawan

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines — Officials launched Monday the Task Group Kidapawan to boost the city government’s domestic counter-terrorism campaign.

Kidapawan City, which has 40 barangays, is the administrative and political capital of North Cotabato, a component province of Region 12.

Captain Silver Belvis, civil military operations officer of the Army’s 39th Infantry Battalion, said on Tuesday that the TG Kidapawan will help Mayor Joseph Evangelista maintain law and order in all barangays under his jurisdiction.

Evangelista is the chairman of the multi-sectoral, inter-agency Kidapawan City peace and order council.

The newly-activated TG Kidapawan City is comprised of personnel of the 39th IB, the 72nd Infantry Battalion, the Kidapawan City police and the civil security unit under the mayor’s office.

Evangelista said the TG Kidapawan shall enlist the support of the North Cotabato provincial police and the Regional Police Officer-12.

Residents of Kidapawan City are no strangers to attacks by terrorists, having experienced bombings in the past 15 years.

There were also three bloody raids on their provincial jail in Barangay Amas by gunmen who sprung away detained companions, among them foreign-trained bombers and large-scale drug traffickers during the period.

Villagers also witnessed the attempted rescue then from their city jail of notorious bandit Datukan Samad, most known as “Lastikman,” by followers armed with assault rifles and B-40 anti-tank rockets.

The henchmen of Samad failed to breach through the gate of the city jail when guards returned fire, forcing them to scamper away. They set off improvised explosive devices as they escaped, killing three residents, one of them a responding Red Cross volunteer

Through the cooperation of local Muslim, Christian and Lumad sectors, Kidapawan City bounced back from the atrocities.

The office of Evangelista even won in 2016 the coveted Seal of Good Local Governance award from the central office of the Department of Interior and Local Government.

Evangelista said the primary mission of TG Kidapawan is to protect the city from terrorists and help maintain law and order in the barangays.

Kidapawan City is touted as the “fruit basket” of central Mindanao. A big number of its residents are engaged in orchard farming and production of exotic fruits such as durian, lanzones, mangosteen and rambutan.

The launching on Monday of TG Kidapawan City was jointly led by Evangelista, Col.Roberto Ancan of the Army’s 1002nd Brigade and Senior Superintendent Leonardo Susan of PRO-12.

Superintendent Romeo Galgo Jr., spokesman of PRO-12, said the regional police headquarters in General Santos City will assist the TG Kidapawan in its peacekeeping activities in all 40 barangays it will help protect from terrorists and criminal gangs.