former rebel

WHILE “white area” operations, referring to legal fronts and political movements linked to communist insurgents, persist in the Davao Region, their influence has significantly diminished, and their strategic center has shifted to Cagayan de Oro City. 

This was the assessment of Jam Saguino, a former high-ranking rebel leader and now a peace advocate, of Kalinaw Davao de Oro in the Davao Peace and Security press conference on Wednesday, June 2, 2025.

Saguino confirmed the continued presence of these groups across the broader Davao Region but stressed they are “not as strong as before” compared to previous years. 

She noted that many of these efforts now originate from Metro Manila, citing examples from the National Capital Region, extending to Davao City, primarily targeting youth and students.

However, Saguino clarified that the Davao Region itself “no longer has the capacity to operate” militarily, as the last remnants of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee’s (SMRC) armed component were reportedly arrested in Bunawan. 

Despite the persistence of white areas and front organizations, he said they are “not considered a significant threat” by former rebels like himself.

He revealed that no new recruits have been monitored from previously identified strongholds, such as the schools mentioned, but TIMES will not reveal the names of these institutions.

“For us, it’s okay to have progressive groups, as long as they don’t take up arms in the mountains,” he added.

Saguino dismissed their current influence as a major threat, remarking on the small numbers typically seen in their rallies. 

He claimed these groups are struggling to recruit from communities, even with existing funding, primarily because the SMRC is no longer active locally.

 She also noted that other KOMID (Komite Mindanao) from different regions are now “adopting” them.

Providing a key insight into the evolving strategy of these groups, Saguino stated that based on classified information, the “center of political power” for white area operations in Mindanao has now shifted to Cagayan de Oro City. 

“This is why most of the white area efforts… just recently, they had a resumption of negotiations last week held in Cagayan de Oro City, where groups from NCR, Manila, and Cebu convened for the resumption of peace talks,” she explained.

She concluded by reiterating her assessment: “For us, the presence of front organizations here in Davao is no longer a significant threat.”

Photo courtesy of Rhoda Grace B Saron