DAVAO CITY — The Eastern Mindanao Command revealed that another six Communist New People's Army units were dismantled this month.

EastMinCom commander Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol said the dismantled units were the NPA's Regional Sentro de Grabidad, Regional Operational Command, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee, Sub-Regional Committees 1, 2, 4 and 5, under SMRC and SRC 4 of North Central Mindanao Regional Committee.

"Most of them formerly operate in Davao Region and Bukidnon," Almerol said, adding that the Eastern Mindanao Area-Clearing and Validation Committee composed of the EastMinCom and Area Police Command-Eastern Mindanao recommended the NPA units' dissolution to the Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Council.

In addition to the capture and deaths of top NPA leaders, Almerol disclosed that no reports have been received of the NPA's activities or presence in their former mass bases in Eastern Mindanao.

He added that Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro and Philippine National Police chief Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. signed the dissolution status for the dismantled NPA units in a joint resolution on 6 December.

"Since the declaration of the Davao Region as 'insurgency-free,' EastMinCom has not monitored any extortion activities, harassment, and other atrocities by the NPA, including their presence in the said area," Almerol said.

To recall, Davao Region was declared insurgency-free last October following the defeat of the NPA in the area through the convergence of the civilian government and the military under the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.