NegOcc village to declare CPP-NPA ‘persona non grata’

BACOLOD CITY — Officials and residents of Barangay Carol-an in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental will declare the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) and its political wing, the National Democratic Front (NDF), as “persona non grata”.

It was agreed that a barangay resolution will be passed to formalize the declaration, during the town hall meeting held in the remote southern Negros village on Sunday, which was facilitated by the Philippine Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion.

Village head Jocerel Paculanang said the communist rebels are no longer welcome in Barangay Carol-an.

Residents of Barangay Carol-an in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental take an oath of allegiance to the Philippine Constitution before Lt. Col. Egberto Dacoscos, commanding officer of the 62nd Infantry Battalion, during the town hall meeting held in their village on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019.
*Photo courtesy of 62nd Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army*

“This is an ancestral domain and all of our residents want to live peacefully. We will never let the same fate happen again to anyone of us,” Paculanang said in the local dialect, during the gathering attended by about 600 village residents.

Last January 29, NPA rebels gunned down former village watchman Cornelio Morales in Sitio Camandag, in front of his daughter and their neighbors.

This prompted residents of the 27 sitios (sub-villages) in Barangay Carol-an to condemn the presence and the atrocities of the CPP-NPA in their community.

“Hand in hand, we will work together for peace. Do not enter again to our barangay”, Paculanang added.

During the activity, Army troopers gave lectures while former rebels gave testimonies.

Those who attended also took an oath of allegiance before Lt. Col. Egberto Dacoscos, commanding officer of the 62nd Infantry Battalion, manifesting their continuous loyalty to the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines and withdrawing support to the CPP-NPA-NDF.

The United States and European Union have declared the CPP-NPA as a terrorist group. (PNA)

Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1062882

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

220 soldiers boost anti-insurgency campaign in Negros Island

BACOLOD CITY — A total of 220 troopers of the Philippine Army have been deployed to Negros Island to strengthen internal security operations.

Col. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade based in Murcia, Negros Occidental, said on Wednesday he welcomes the arrival of the additional troops that will boost their campaign against the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).

New soldiers of the 62^nd Infantry Battalion, prepare for deployment to their companies in Negros Island on Wednesday (Jan.30, 2019) to help strengthen internal security.
*Photo courtesy of 303^rd Infantry Brigade, Philippine Army*

He said that with a stronger Army force in the island, the troops will run more aggressively after the communist terrorists and prevent them from conducting atrocities and extortion activities.

“Our number is enough to pursue the NPA. With the support of the communities, local government units, and government agencies, the number will continue to grow until these terrorists will have no more to run to,” Arevalo said.

On Wednesday, 120 soldiers of the 94th Infantry Battalion’s Bravo Company arrived in Negros Oriental, coming from their six-month deployment with the 301st Infantry Brigade in Panay Island.

A total of 100 new soldiers, who underwent training with the 3rd Infantry Division in Jamindan, Capiz, were also recently assigned to the different Army battalions in Negros Island.

According to the 303rd Brigade, the deployment of 220 more troops in Negros is based on Malacañang’s Memorandum Order No. 32 issued on November 22, 2018.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea released the directive amid “sporadic acts of violence allegedly committed by lawless groups particularly in the provinces of Samar, Negros Oriental and Occidental, and Bicol Region.” (PNA)

Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1060608

Army condemns NPA murder of village watchman in southern Negros

BACOLOD CITY — The Philippine Army has condemned the killing of a village watchman by the New People’s Army (NPA) in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental on Tuesday afternoon.

The 62nd Infantry Battalion (62IB) identified the victim as Cornilio Morales, a resident of Sitio Camandag, Barangay Carol-an, who was gunned down in front of his daughter and their neighbors.

Lt. Egberto Dacoscos, commanding officer of 62IB, in a statement on Wednesday assailed the rebel group’s criminal and barbaric act against an unarmed civilian.

“This is a clear violation of Article 4.4 Part IV of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL),” he said.

Article 4.4 states that “civilians together with their property shall be distinguished from combatants and, together with their property shall not be the object of attack”.

Maj. Gen. Dinoh Dolina, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, on Thursday also condemned the CPP-NPA terrorists’ “inhumane act” in killing Morales.

“Once again, they proved that they are the true human rights violators in Negros. Killing the innocent and defenseless civilian in front of his child is a heartless act that only terrorists do,” he added.

Dolina assured the Negrenses they will not allow such terroristic act to happen again.

“We will not stop going against these communist terrorists until justice is served to the families of the victims,” he added.

According to the military report, six communist rebels seized Morales around 5 p.m. while he was in a waiting shed with his daughter and other residents. The rest were told to lie on the bellies.

One of the rebels, who looked like a minor, shouted, “Pasensya na, napag-utusan lang” (Sorry, just following orders), then shot Morales, the report added, citing accounts of civilian witnesses.

Dacoscos urged Negrenses to help stop the NPA atrocities and human rights violation by reporting information on their activities and whereabouts through hotline numbers (0975)133-6243 and (0977)601-5416.

Both the United States and the European Union declared the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army as a terrorist group. (PNA)

Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1060586