Insurgency finally ends in Surigao Norte
By
Renelle Escuadro
Teodoro
was the keynote speaker in the ceremony where the formal declaration was made.
Other high-profile personalities who attended the ceremony were Department of the Interior and
Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos Jr., National Task
Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Executive Director
Ernesto C. Torres Jr., and General Romeo B. Brawner Jr., chief of staff of the Armed
Forces of the Philippines.
“I am
very proud of this historic declaration. This will not happen if not for you
Surigaonons, who said that you don’t want it anymore and that you sincerely
want insurgency to end in the province,” Teodoro said.
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| The last batch of surrenderees, composed of thirty-seven friends rescued (FRs), were presented on the declaration and pronouncement of Surigao del Norte as an insurgency-free province. Fourteen are for awarding, 15 of them are in process and eight are newly surrendered. Photo courtesy of 4DPAO. |
The
defense secretary shared the instruction of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
to create a multi-threat arm force that will be capable of addressing both
internal and external threats.
“Today, our main focus is to re-orient, re-train, re-equip, and re-strategize how the department and the armed forces manage and do things. We are expecting the DILG, with direct contact on governance, to allow the armed forces greater latitude to do its principal mission of defending our territorial integrity and sovereignty rights of the State,” Teodoro added.
DILG Sec. Abalos highlighted the activity by welcoming the 37 FRs who chose peace and returned to the government, stating, “Every week rebels surrender to the government because of the strong collaboration of the local government units and other government agencies."
He
emphasized that collaboration should not end during the surrender of the
rebels, reiterating that "we are mandated to help and take care of them
and to ensure they will have livelihood, their children can go to school, and
be equipped with the right skills to live a productive life."
The
friends rescued, who also composed the last batch of surrenderees in the
province of Surigao del Norte, received different financial assistance from the
government that will help them reintegrate smoothly into mainstream society.
Each of
them received a check for P65,000 from the DILG under its Enhanced
Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) as immediate financial and
livelihood assistance. Each also received hygiene kits, mosquito nets, and
vitamins from the Department of Health (DOH) Caraga, P10,000 from the Department
of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and another P5,000 from Surigao del
Norte Gov. Robert S. Lyndon Barbers.
In his
message, Torres of the NTF-ELCAC said, "We finally found the formula for
solving insurgency by looking into the root causes. It takes a long time, and
we thought that this day of reckoning would remain a dream, but we are able to
do the impossible. And with the help of everyone, we have weakened the
guerrilla fronts in the whole of Mindanao. Thus, we express our heartfelt
congratulations to Surigao del Norte province, as it is a testament to good
governance."
Torres
also reiterated to the key lead agencies of NTF-ELCAC to stay vigilant and
sustain the whole-of-nation approach to prevent the return of terrorism in the
province.
He
announced the construction of a one-stop shop peace center in the province,
with the approved conversion of the halfway houses, to better assist the FRs in
their reintegration journey.
Elisa D.
Evangelista-Lapana, head of Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace,
Reconciliation and Unity Local Conflict Transformation-Field Implementation
Support Unit (OPAPRU-LCT-FISU) in Mindanao, commended the leaders of
Surigao del Norte for practicing good governance.
“Kining
Surigao del Norte ganhan mi mo-partner diri nga probinsya kay ang amo peace
efforts and resources dili masayang,” Lapana said in her message of commitment.
[We like to partner with Surigao del Norte because our peace efforts and resources will not be put to waste.]
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| The dignitaries, during the declaration and pronouncement of Surigao del Norte as insurgency-free province on March 15, 2024 in Surigao City, showed their signed Pledge of Commitment for Peace. They pledged to "commit to work in ensuring a just society where every individual has equal opportunities and protection under the law and to relentlessly carry out counter-insurgency initiatives in pursuit of permanent peace and sustainable development.” (Photo of PIA-SDN) |
In his message of acceptance, Gov. Barbers said that the official declaration and formal pronouncement of Surigao del Norte as an insurgency-free province is a giant milestone.
“The
place we call home finally now has stable internal peace and security. We
embraced dialogue over discord, understanding over ignorance, and cooperation
over conflict; in doing so, we transformed the province into a beacon of hope
and inspiration for the entire country,” he said.
The
governor cited the barangay health workers who were afraid to go to remote and
far-flung barangays in the province, as they were approached by communist
terrorists in the areas.
“We
invited them today so they may know that they can now safely deliver the
healthcare services of the government to these barangays,” he assured.
The
declaration and pronouncement of Surigao del Norte as insurgency-free province
was based on the issuance of Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Council
(JPSCC) Resolution No. 11-2023, entitled “Affirming the Declaration of Weakened
Northland, North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee as Dismantled.”
Its Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and Provincial Development Council (PDC) further issued Joint PPOC-PDC Resolution No. 01, series of 2024 which declared the province in a state of stable internal peace and security. (RLE/PIA-Caraga)
