The imminent signing of the closure to the peace agreement between the government and the Tabara-Paduano Group  of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa-Pilipinas-Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade will prove to the New People’s Army that the armed struggle is already “irrelevant”, Col. Oscar Lactao, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said yesterday.

Lactao said leaders and members of the RPA-ABB, who used to be affiliated with the NPA, have recognized that there is another way of solving the problems of the country, and it is  not through  armed struggle, but the peace process, using the government system and resources to work for it.

OPAPP Undersecretary Luisito Montalbo, head of the government panel in the talks with the TPG, yesterday said they hope  to sign the final closure of the peace agreement by April,  but  could not say yet if  it will  be in Negros or in  Malacañang.  

Of the estimated 700 members of the RPM-P/RPA-ABB in Western Visayas,Mindanao and Manila, 476 are in Negros Occidental, OPPAP records showed.

In line with the Internal Peace and Security Program Bayanihan,  Lactao said they have deployed Peace and Development Teams in 30 of more than 100 conflict-affected barangays in Negros Occidental, to facilitate the delivery of government services.

He also said  they are  strengthening the local integration program for former NPA combatants, which had  risen  to 44 as of yesterday, by providing them with livelihood opportunities and security, in coordination with the Negros Occidental provincial government.

The deployment of PDTs in conflict-affected communities since August last year, scored a modest gain, by facilitating the distribution of Certificate of Land Ownership Awards to 60 farmer beneficiaries in Kabankalan City, military records show.

  Lactao said he is now looking at how PDTs will facilitate livelihood opportunities, farm-to-market roads and construction of school buildings, in coordination with the provincial government, and various national government agencies.

The government has earmarked about P120 million livelihood opportunities and development programs in conflict-affected communities identified by the RPM-P-RPA-ABB Tabara-Paduano Group in Negros island.

Lactao said he  hopes  to expand membership of PDTs, by including other sectors of society, and  cover almost all conflict-affected areas, that  will lead to a drastic decline in the insurgency problem, within two to three years.

The creation of PDTs is part of the AFP paradigm shift, that  recognizes other aspects of insurgency that need to be resolved, and not through military operations alone, he added.*GPB

back to top