THE commanding general of the Philippine Army responsible for internal security operations in the Davao region has downplayed the successive wave of attacks by the communist New People’s Army against government troops and other “soft targets” the past few days.

“Even as I personally grieve over the loss of my men over these atrocities, I assure the people of Davao and all those working for peace to triumph that overall, we have the upper hand insofar as internal security matters are concerned,” Maj. Gen. Jorge Segovia, chief of the 10th Infantry Division, told People’s Tonight.

“’Yung mga serye ng atake nila, ‘nag-iingay’ na lang sila dahil tinatalo na sila dito ng ating militar. ‘Pakitang gilas’ na lang lahat ’yan para palabasin na malakas pa sila kahit hindi na,” he added.

Segovia made the statement to downplay increased offensive activities of the guerrillas the past several days resulting to casualties among his men.

In a span of 24 hours, the NPA staged two attacks, the assassination of an off-duty soldier in Paquibato District on Thursday and a grenade attack against a military checkpoint in Panabo City the next day where five government troops and two civilians were hurt.

Segovia, credited with pacifying the Southern Tagalog region during his stint as brigade and division commander, was transferred last year to the 10th ID to oversee military operations in Davao and nearby areas.

Together with the adjacent Caraga region, Davao is now considered as the main base of NPA power and influence not only in Northeast Mindanao but in the entire country, eclipsing the position previously being held by Southern Tagalog where Segovia also served as a battalion commander based in Quezon province.

In the ‘80s to the early ‘90s, Davao City is considered as the center of NPA power in the whole of Mindanao with its main influence anchored in Paquibato District and the mineral rich-areas of Compostela Valley.