By JUNE S. BLANCO Basking in the success of the Central Visayas Local Peace and Security Assembly
held at the Bohol Tropics Resort, Gov. Erico Aumentado is pressing the Office of
the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) to include the remaining 24
insurgency-affected barangays here for priority project funding under the
P3-billion Barangay Kalayaan Development Fund.
Gov. Erico Aumentado is largely responsible for the restoration of the Kalayaan
Fund in the budget by championing this and other advocacies during his incumbency
as president of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) and the Union of
Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP).
LPP has since elected a new president while his term as ULAP president will end in
March. He seeks amendment of its Constitution and By-Laws though to shorten his
term to October to give way to emerging leaders.
In his letter to Secretary Jesus Dureza, Aumentado attached the list of
influenced, less influenced, infiltrated and threatened barangays for funding of
their projects.
To note, Lt. Col. Nestor Porlucas of the 79th Infantry Battalion based in Barangay
Riverside in Bilar has deployed Special Operations Teams (SOTs) to these barangays
so that shoulder to shoulder with the Bohol Poverty Reduction Management Office
(BPRMO) teams, they can identify the projects to be funded by OPAPP.
“I will submit the project proposals together with the program of works after the
projects shall have been identified by the community and the SOTs themselves under
our people empowerment strategy,†he wrote.
He also informed the secretary that Bishop Leonardo Medroso of the Diocese of
Tagbilaran has agreed to chair the Local Peace Forum (LPF) vice Bishop Leopoldo
Tumulak who is now the military vicar general based in Camp Emilio Aguinaldo in
Quezon City.
Porlucas listed Hanopol Norte in Balilihan, San Jose and Sta. Cruz in Batuan, and
Dagohoy in Bilar as influenced barangays.
Less influenced barangays are Cantaungon in Loon, Buyog Norte in Balilihan, Rizal
and Janlud in Batuan; Campagao, Bugang Norte and Sur and Cabacnitan in Bilar,
Triple Union, Maitum, Mantacieda, Hagbuaya, Ambuan, Liboron, Bongbong and
Cambailan in Catigbian and Magsaysay, Bayawahan, Lico-Lico and Ewon in Sevilla.
Usually located in town tri-boundaries and thickly forested with rough terrain,
these barangays have been haven to New People’s Army (NPA) rebels at the height of
the underground movement’s activities in the province.
The LPF is scheduled to meet within the month for the orientation/re-orientation
of the members as Medroso requested. Aumentado asked Dureza to send a
representative to help orient the members on their duties and responsibilities.
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