Tag: Department of the Interior and Local Government

25 ex-Red fighters surrender in NegOcc

BACOLOD CITY — A total of 25 former fighters of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Negros Occidental yielded to military and police authorities in northern Negros on Saturday.

The group, operating in the boundaries of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto towns and San Carlos City, surrendered after months of localized peace negotiations, in a ceremony held at the Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (79IB) headquarters in Barangay Bato, Sagay City.

They turned over their firearms and took an oath of allegiance to the Philippine government before Col. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade; Police Col. Romeo Baleros, director of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office; and Ma. Fatima Daiz, cluster leader of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Negros Occidental North.

Col. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, receives a surrendered firearm of a former rebel during the ceremony held at the Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion headquarters in Barangay Bato, Sagay City on Saturday.
Photo courtesy of 79th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army

The firearms included three M16 rifles, four Garand rifles, one M14 rifle, four shotguns, one .22-caliber Magnum rifle, one .38-caliver revolver, 12 .45-caliber pistols, two 9-mm submachine guns, 14 assorted rifle and pistol magazines loaded with ammunition, and two shotgun bandoleers with ammunition.

In a statement on Sunday, Lt. Col. Emilito Thaddeus Logan, commanding officer of 79IB, said the series of surrenders of former NPA rebels and their supporters can be attributed to the combined efforts of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, and concerned local government units.

These included the conduct of focused military operations, intelligence efforts, civil-military operations and reintegration efforts, and the implementation of peace and development programs, he added.

“The barangay officials also played an important role in urging the NPA rebels to give up violence. The Army recognizes their efforts and support to the localized peace talks initiated by the 303rd Infantry Brigade since November last year,” Logan said.

Arevalo said former rebels deserve another chance to lead normal lives after their surrender because they were only deceived by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front.

Police Lt. Col. Mario Baquiran Jr., commander of 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company, said it is high time the rebels realize that they are just being used and fooled.

“The communist organizers and recruiters agitate them on various issues not meant to be resolved,” he added.

Personnel of the 79IB and the DILG will facilitate enrolment of the former rebels into the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program.

Through the program, a former rebel is entitled to receive immediate assistance of PHP15,000; livelihood assistance, PHP50,000; firearms remuneration, PHP12,000 to PHP500,000; half-way house assistance; PhilHealth enrolment and medical assistance; education assistance; housing assistance; legal assistance; and healing and reconciliation initiatives. (PNA)

Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1063456

NegOcc execs supporting CPP-NPA anti-gov’t: guv

BACOLOD CITY — Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. said local government officials supporting the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) can be considered as anti-government.

The governor’s pronouncement came Tuesday after the Philippine Army revealed that more than 30 elected officials in the province are providing support to the communist rebels.

“There’s no need to call on them not to support the CPP-NPA. It is their duty not to do so. Those who support the CPP-NPA are also against the government,” Marañon said in an interview.

Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. (left) and Col. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the Philippine Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade, discuss security matters during the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council meeting at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019.
Photo courtesy of Negros Occidental Capitol PIO

Col. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade based in Murcia, Negros Occidental, said Monday they have learned that these officials provide financial and logistical support to the communist rebels, who then act as armed group for them, especially during elections.

The CPP-NPA has been tagged as a terrorist group both by the United States and the European Union.

Last month, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued a warning to all governors, mayors, and all candidates about directly or indirectly giving financial, material, and political support to communist terrorist rebels, as well as other non-state actors.

DILG spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Jonathan Malaya, said Secretary Eduardo Año has issued Memorandum Circular 2018-211, reminding all local chief executives and local government officials that giving any form of support to communist rebels is a violation not only of Executive Order 773, but also of Republic Act 10168 or The Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012.

In the memorandum circular, Año directed all regional, provincial, city and municipal peace and order councils to apply moral suasion or to recommend sanctions against local chief executives who are known to have supported communist rebels.

Malaya said the DILG may also file other charges pursuant to the Revised Penal Code and other pertinent laws and seek the disqualification of all those candidates who shall be proved to have cooperated with said non-state actors in accordance with the provisions of the Omnibus Election Code.

“The same course of action shall be undertaken against those incumbent local government officials or employees who shall cooperate or give aid in any form or manner — material or otherwise, to non-state actors without prejudice to the administrative cases that shall be filed against them,” he added. (PNA)

Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1062417

11 former rebels in NegOcc get P231-K reintegration aid

BACOLOD CITY – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has provided a total of PHP231,000 in reintegration assistance to 11 former rebels in Negros Occidental.

The checks were released by the DILG-Negros Occidental headed by provincial director Carmelo Orbista to the Philippine Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion and the 3rd Civil Military Operations (CMO) Battalion, the units assisting the former rebels, in a meeting held at the agency’s office here Monday afternoon.

Col. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade based in Murcia, Negros Occidental, said the amount will be utilized for the administrative expenses incurred by the Army units facilitating the enrollment of the former rebels to the government’s reintegration program.

DILG-Negros Occidental provincial director Carmelo Orbista (right) turns over to officials of the Philippine Army in Negros Occidental headed by Col. Benedict Arevalo (2nd from right) the checks totaling PHP231,000 as reintegration assistance for 11 former rebels under the custody of  two Army units in the province.
Photo courtesy of 303rd Infantry Brigade, Philippine Army

The beneficiaries are all former Red fighters who surrendered last year, he noted.

Of the 11, seven are in the custody of the 62nd Battalion while four are with the 3rd CMO Battalion. A fund of PHP21,000 has been allocated for the expenses of each former rebel.

The reintegration assistance is support to help defray the board and lodging and other incidental expenses of former rebels in the custody of a receiving unit.

Arevalo said the Army is highlighting the provision of the reintegration assistance by the DILG to show the sincerity of the government in accepting former rebels who want to return to the fold of the law.

The DILG is the leading agency in the implementation of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), the National Reintegration Program for Former Rebels, which facilitates the mainstreaming of former New People’s Army rebels and Militia ng Bayan as productive citizens.

Under the program, a former rebel gets an immediate assistance of PHP15,000 for mobilization expenses, livelihood assistance of PHP50,000, skills training, shelter and legal assistance, among others, as well as compensation and remuneration for all turned-in firearms. (PNA)

Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1062230