Garden Orchid Hotel, Zamboanga City
December 2, 2021

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte reaffirmed the national government’s support in the campaign against armed communist insurgency as he presided over the Joint Meeting of the National Task Force – Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-RTF ELCAC) Region IX in Zamboanga City.

In his speech, the President expressed his gratitude to the Task Force for their unwavering dedication “to put an end to this decades-long insurgency problem that has curtailed development in the countryside.”

Likewise, he enjoined the local chief executives in the Zamboanga Peninsula to harmonize their efforts in curbing lawlessness and insurgency in the Region, and called for their support on the government’s key programs in achieving sustainable peace and progress.

“We are confident of prevailing over the enemies of peace and order even as we continue to address the many other challenges ahead of us,” the Chief Executive said.

During the joint meeting, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (CORDS) Region IX Secretary Rolando Joselito Bautista delivered a report to the President about the accomplishments and programs undertaken by the Regional Task Force in the Zamboanga Peninsula. Other government officials who are also members of the Task Force spoke about their collaborative efforts that developed the Zamboanga Peninsula in becoming an insurgency-free Region.

Moreover, several government agencies awarded programs and projects to various beneficiaries affected by the communist rebel insurgency in order to attain development and sustainable peace in their respective communities.

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