Agusan Norte creates task force to end communist
armed conflict
By Nora L. Molde
BUTUAN CITY, Oct. 17 (PIA) -- To
ensure coherence in the realization of Executive Order Number (EO) 70,
series 2018, or the whole-of-nation approach in attaining inclusive and
sustainable peace, the province of Agusan del Norte has created the Provincial Task
Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) and its Executive
Committee during the recent joint Provincial Development Council (PDC) and
Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting held in this city.
Agusan del Norte Governor Dale Corvera
said the creation of the task force will help the province in solving
insurgency because peace and development can only be obtained if the
insurgency problem in the area is solved.
“There can be no development
without peace, and there can be no peace without development. United effort is
needed to solve insurgency,” Corvera said.
The mayors of the different
municipalities and city have expressed their hundred percent support in the
implementation of the EO 70 in ending local communist armed conflict in their
area of responsibilities. Most of the municipalities have already organized and
others are on the process of creating their municipal team in implementing the
EO70.
Also, as a support to the task
force, Provincial Police Office of Agusan del Norte provincial director Police
Col. Ramir Perlito Perlas said that a 24-hour PNP personnel-manned check points
are operating in the different areas of the province to ensure and maintain
peace and order situation in the area.
Deputy brigade commander of 402IB
Philippine Army Colonel Cerilo Balaoro also said that from January to October
10, 2019, they were able to neutralize 898 CNTs (NPA-54; Militia ng Bayan-130;
Underground Movement Organization (UGMO) Members-714) that include 896 who
surrendered, one killed and one being captured.
First district representative Ma.
Angelica Rosedell Amante-Matba is positive that with the concerted efforts of
the Agusanons, the implementation of EO 70 will pave the way for a lasting
peace where areas and vulnerable communities in the province will be accorded
priority through the delivery of basic services, social development packages
and infrastructure projects.
The Agusan del Norte task force
was created through a Joint PDC-PPOC Resolution No. 2019-1.
It will be chaired by provincial
governor Dale Corvera with the following members: Congressional representatives
(1st district and 2nd district), all local chief executives, all department
heads, provincial planning and development officer, SP member – chair of the
peace and order committee, DILG provincial director, PNP provincial director,
PDEA provincial director, 23rd and 29th IB Philippine Army battalion
commanders, PSWD officer, provincial prosecutor, PIA provincial information
officer, NBI director, DTI provincial director, DAR provincial agrarian reform
officer, DENR PENRO, NCIP provincial director, DepEd schools division
superintended, CHR regional director, PAO prosecutor, OPAPP area manager, TESDA
provincial director, DPWH district engineer, Provincial health Officer, BFAR
provincial director, DOST provincial director, DOLE provincial director,
CHED regional director, LTO provincial director, DA provincial officer, and
civil society organization representatives.
Meanwhile, to ensure speedy action
of the immediate concerns relative to the roles and responsibilities of the
task force, an Executive Committee of the PTF-ELCAC was also created chaired by
governor Corvera; vice chaired by vice governor Ramon A.G. Bungabong; DILG
Agusan del Norte provincial director Ellen Vee Chua and Provincial Planning and
Development Officer Rofel Cabaltera comprising the secretariat, with members
from the 12 PTF-ELCAC cluster leads, indigenous peoples mandatory
representatives (IPMRs), SP Peace and Order Committee chairperson, and League
of Municipalities of the Philippines president. (NCLM/PIA Agusan del Norte)
Modern PUV caravan goes to Tandag City
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Oct.
17 -- Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Caraga
regional director Maria Kristina Cassion and her team organized and led the
second leg of the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Caravan in the
region at the Tandag City Gymnasium on Tuesday, October 15, 2019.
The event was attended by Surigao
del Sur governor Alexander Pimentel and Tandag City mayor Roxanne Pimentel who
rallied behind the program and delivered messages expressing strong support to
the program.
Gov. Pimentel told cooperative
members it would be hard to modernize their fleet individually with the current
cost of modern vehicles, but through the cooperative, it would not be too much
of a burden especially with the loan assistance and subsidy program of the
national government.
Meanwhile, mayor Pimentel said the
local government unit (LGU) fully supports this program of the Duterte’s
Administration and assured cooperative members they will provide assistance to
the affected operators.
A motorcade around the event area
showcasing the various modern PUV-compliant units signaled the start of the
program and was followed by a short program with presentations by key national
government agency partners discussing the significant details of the PUV
Modernization Program (MP) such as consolidation of franchises, fleet
management, subsidy, and loans.
It was also announced that the
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in the Region has
already consolidated seven routes under various transport service cooperatives
(TSC).
The cooperative members,
operators, and drivers also participated in the open forum to share and clarify
their concerns on the PUVMP. Some 300 participants including the members of
seven cooperatives from Surigao del Sur province have attended the event
which was part of the information campaign and communication component of
the PUVMP.
The activity was anchored on the
theme, “Modern PUV Caravan: Arangkada ng Pagbabago Tungo sa Kaunlaran,” as it
is part of the government’s efforts to engage stakeholders across the country to
support the program that aims to modernize PUV in the country.
Representatives from key national
government agency partners were also present such as the Office of
Transportation Cooperatives (OTC), Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA), Landbank of the Philippines (LBP).
The PUV Modernization Program is
the flagship non-infrastructure project of the administration of President
Rodrigo Roa Duterte with the goal of providing a comfortable life for all
Filipinos through a safe, reliable, convenient, affordable and
environmentally-sustainable transportation system in the country.
(LTFRB-Caraga/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
IP to Cullamat: Will genuine peace prevail or
another scheme to play?
By 1Lt.
Krisjuper Andreo Punsalan
"Together, let us end
insurgency and commit to peace."
This is the call of the indigenous
peoples (IP) community to representative Eufemia “Ka Femia” Campos Cullamat of
Bayan Muna who invited the IP mandatory representative (MR), Philippine Army
and Surigao del Sur provincial government in a peace dialogue on October 21 at
Sitio Simuwao (Kilometer 9), Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur.
The last dialogue conducted with
the militant group Malahutayong Pakigbisog Alang sa Sumusunod (MAPASU) was
aimed at convincing Governor Alexander Pimentel to pull-out the community
support teams (CSTs) of the 3rd Special Forces Battalion (3SFBn) citing the
rehash false and malicious accusations against the Army personnel who
religiously work to attain sustainable peace in the Km. 9 IP community.
They also threatened the governor
to stage their usual scripted “Taktikang Bakwit” to hamper the whole-of-nation
approach to end local communist armed conflict in the geographically isolated
and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) and conflict-affected areas (ConAAs) in Andap
Valley Complex.
“We greatly hope that this
dialogue will be about peace and reflect their sincere support to end local
communist armed conflict in the area, not the other way around. It is our
fervent prayer that they will not make any scene to trigger any conflict and
chaos to discredit our peace and development efforts in the community because
we are sincere in what we do for the community. It is also our hope that
representative Cullamat will support our community support program or CSP; the
aim of the President [Duterte]; and vocally stand firm in condemning the
Communist NPA Terrorists," said Hawudon Jumar Bucales, IPMR of
Lianga.
This is a test of Cullamat’s
genuineness to end the local communist armed conflict. Despite being the sister
of a communist NPA terrorist (CNT) leader, Pablito Sinzo Campos alias
"Batik," front secretary of GF 21A who was captured by the 3SFBn last
2018 with his M4 rifle, a grenade and subversive documents, should prove and
show to the people that being a government official, blood is not thicker than
water because the rule of law must always prevail.
Another sister of Cullamat is Bae
Gloria Campos Tumalon, chair of Katribo Mo, a non-government organization (NGO)
that promotes communist principles as revealed in the statement of Major
General Antonio Parlade, Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines deputy
chief-of-staff for civil-military operations.
Peace dialogues should make ends
meet. It must promote reconciliation, synergy, convergence, and cooperation
among the government and the community to harmoniously resolve basic social
delivery services issues used by the CNTs to agitate, organize and mobilize the
affected IP community to turn them into rebels.
“Let’s see what happens on October
21, if their peace dialogue invitation is aimed at supporting the peace
initiatives of the government and the IP community or just a mere scenario to
discredit the whole-of-nation approach to end the insurgency. If they create a
scene to hamper the peace efforts of our government, then she is really not for
peace. Her own actions and attitude on that event will define her. Deception
and commitment to peace are two different things,” Bucales said. (3SFBn-CMO/PIA-Surigao
del Sur)
CNT leadership crumbles in Surigao Sur
TAGO, Surigao del Sur, Oct. 17 --
The Communist New People’s Army (NPA) Terrorist (CNT) leadership is crumbling
down in Surigao del Sur as CNT leaders and supporters surrendered to Army’s
36th Infantry (Valor) Battalion (36IB) at the battalion headquarters in
Barangay Dayoan, Tago of this province.
A former mess officer of Sentro de
Grabidad (SDG) Platoon, Guerilla Front (GF) 30 alias Justine and his wife, a
mass supporter, voluntarily surrendered to 36IB on October 2, 2019. They
brought along with them one KG9, an empty magazine, and a hand grenade.
On October 3, 2019, another two
NPA leaders identified as alias Julian/Ronnie, a commanding officer of Platoon
8, Weakened Guerilla Front 19 (WFG 19), North Eastern Mindanao Regional
Committee (NEMRC) and Libra/Marquez, team leader Abe, Squad 2, Sub-Region
Sentro de Grabidad (SRSDG) Platoon 2, Sub-Regional Committee (SRC) 1419, NEMRC,
and a civilian from Carromata, San Miguel and an active Milisya ng Bayan (MB)
member voluntarily surrendered to 36IB commander Lt. Col. Xerxes Trinidad.
Alias Julian/Ronnie brought along
with him one M16 rifle and a magazine with 13 ammunition. He revealed that he
decided to surrender due to distrust in their organization's leadership and
integrity, and that most of them are already surrendering to the government.
He said they have experienced
hardship inside the communist movement and the lost struggle of his fellow
"tribu" who were deceived by the CPP-NPA and were fighting for a lost
cause.
It can be recalled that alias
Hasan, a former squad leader of Squad Uno, Platoon 8, GF 19 NEMRC also
surrendered to this unit last January 1, 2019 and has already received the
assistance through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program
(E-CLIP) as the government’s intervention package for former rebels. The CNTs
have learned the genuine offer of the government towards achieving peace in
their communities.
Lt. Trinidad said that “the series
of surrender among the communist terrorist group (CTG) to the government
is a clear manifestation that they are crumbling down and will soon become
irrelevant to the peace-loving community of Surigao del Sur. The government’s
thrust for genuine peace has awakened not just the community but also the
regular members of the CNTs to include their ground leaders who were deceived
by the CPP-NPA and were blinded by false ideologies."
The surrenderers will be processed
and validated for enrollment to the E-CLIP, the government intervention package
for former rebels. (CMO, 36IB/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
DOH Caraga advises DepEd to lift deworming MDA
in Surigao Norte
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte,
Oct. 17 -- The Department of Health (DOH) Caraga finally recommends lifting of
suspension of deworming activities in Surigao del Norte following the findings
of the investigation and examination from the Philippine National Police (PNP)
Crime Laboratory received on October 10, 2019 where results revealed that
deworming drug did not cause an untoward demise.
It was on July 26, 2019 when DOH
Caraga issued an advisory to the Department of Education (DepEd) Caraga to
suspend all the deworming Mass Drug Administration (MDA) in Surigao del Norte
due to the alleged death of a young girl in one of the schools in the province.
“The histopathological and
toxicological examinations disclosed that the patient died of natural death.
Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration – Davao Office also stated that
the deworming drug samples sent to them were free of any contaminants and has
passed the assessment. With these developments, we advise DepEd Caraga to
continue deworming our students in Surigao del Norte,” said DOG Caraga regional
director Jose Llacuna, Jr.
DOH Caraga through its Provincial
DOH Office in Surigao del Norte has also provided feedback and assistance to
the affected family while contracting their consent to release the results and
findings following the child’s autopsy.
“We strongly reiterate to the
public the agency’s nationwide drive to eliminate intestinal parasitism which
is detrimental to our child’s growth and development. We urge parents and the
community to let us help your children by providing necessary health services
to combat the burden of the worms, and this is through deworming,” Lacuna said.
The National Deworming MDA is a
simultaneous activity by the DOH together with its partners in schools and the
local government units (LGUs) to deworm preschool and school-aged children to
improve their health and nutrition. (DOH Caraga/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
CNTs torch construction equipment in Surigao del Norte anew
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte,
Oct. 17 -- The Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA)
Terrorists or CNTs start again its extortion-arson antics as they burned one
backhoe loader and strafed the equipment of CTB Construction at its stock area
at Barangay Campo, Bacuag, Surigao del Norte morning of October 14, 2019.
Around seven CNTs led by spouses
Alberto CastaΓ±eda alias JD and his party wife alias Menchie of Sandatahang
Yunit Pampropaganda (SYP) 16C2, Guerilla Front (GF) 16, North Eastern Mindanao
Regional Committee (NEMRC), perpetrated said atrocity.
CTB Construction was conducting
road widening works at Bacuag-Gigaquit road stretch in line with the Build,
Build, Build Program of the national government.
After the incident, the CNTs
withdrew towards the west direction. Troops of 30th Infantry "Python"
Battalion (30IB) immediately proceeded to the crime scene that resulted in an
encounter that lasted for about five minutes. No casualty was reported on the
government side while undetermined from the enemy side.
Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey A.
Villarosa, the commanding officer of 30IB said the incident was a clear
manifestation of the CNTs gross disregard for the safety of civilians and
affront to development. He added that the equipment they burned are not
military targets and are not in any way involved in any armed conflict.
Villarosa said that it was just
fortunate that no construction workers and civilians from the nearby houses
were hit by CNTs indiscriminate firing. This shows that they will sabotage and
even murder and abduct innocent civilians in order to extort regardless of the
damage they inflict to the community, added Villarosa.
"To our peace-loving
Surigaonons, your AFP and PNP will always work to support our local government
units and national line agencies as they provide their services especially
in our Peace and Development Zone in SALASICAM (Brgy. Sapa of Claver and
Barangays Lahi, Sico-sico and Camam-onan, all of Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte).
Continue to extend your cooperation with us and finally end the destruction of
the CNTs,” Villarosa said.
Meanwhile, BGen. Maurito L.
Licudine, commander of 402nd Infantry Brigade, deplored the CNTs’ continuing
atrocities that hamper the peace and development of the communities. "The
CNTs use terror and threat as their way to control people. Let us not faint on
these treacherous tactics and instead bring these terrorists to justice,"
said Licudine. (30IB/402nd Brigade/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
