Author Topic: Bohol Island Insurgency-Free?  (Read 1236 times)

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Bohol Island Insurgency-Free?
« on: February 15, 2010, 09:54:52 AM »
By Angeline Valencia

Bohol experience taught the national government that Social Integration Program (SIP) can best substitute peace talks, especially that the Communist Movement of the Philippines has changed its representatives to the negotiating table.

Defense Sec. Norberto Gonzales announced during the capsule-laying ceremony of the 50-hectare resettlement area for rebel returnees in barangay Remedios, Danao on Thursday that the government's "new policy is actually about the SIP".

"THAT WILL BE THE MAJOR APPROACH THAT WE'LL BE USING IN THIS END GAME, this remaining few months. Remember that our President promised to end the communist armed rebellion during her term. That's four to five months away. And we're saying that, except for a very few areas in the Philippines, the armed forces has done its job already. We will not want to see an aggressive use of the armed forces," Gonzales said.

The government arrived at this option after a "not so successful" peace talks with Joma Sison, then, and after a considerable accomplishment of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

"The approach now is more political than militar- -more development, more dialogues.

You already did it here. And we will use this as model and I hope there will be more and more of this kind of effort in the whole country, so that it can take care of our people who want to normalize lives. There must be no more war," the secretary pointed out.
         
He admitted that the recent round of the peace talks with the representative of the Communist Movement of the Philippines "has not been very successful".

The situation has become more difficult when the CPP-NPA-NDF recently ousted Sison and his comrades.

"They are no longer the leaders of the party. So we found ourselves wondering if we should continue talking with Joma Sison or not, because he no longer represents the interest of the communist movement. We have been hearing rumors that the communist movement is has new leaders, but we don't know where they are." Gonzales added.

The government's Norwegian friends, who had been providing assistance when it comes to the peace talks, are also "wondering whether we should continue with the peace talks or not because they don't know who to talk to these days", he said.

However, the accomplishments of the AFP in the military approach of addressing insurgency means "we start talking to all members of the New People's Army"- -an idea that the "governor in Bohol is actually giving us the strategy that we need," according to the secretary.

He said Bohol has always been first in doing things like addressing insurgency through development, confirming that, indeed, "we should not wait for peace agreements to be signed", but take the initiative of coming up with innovative ways like the things that Bohol leaders do.

In his assessment, Gonzales said, the government's armed forces had already done its job when it comes to the military aspect of the opreations against armed rebellion where they have "achieved the level of accomplishment".

"We're fighting against our own people. And, always when it's our own people, we go beyond normal understanding. The position of government is to welcome those who want to normalize their lives. That's the position of government today" he added.

Gonzales also appeals to the Bishops Conference of the Philippines, all bishops and priests to tell anyone from the armed rebels who would approach them, that the government welcomes them.

"What we are trying do now in the national [level] is to prepare the necessary logistical requirement of this endeavor. That is why we are expecting our President to augment, in a dramatic way, the budget for SIP. And the SIP will no longer just be addressing the individual rebels who are joining normal lives. We will also have funds for creating communities for them," the secretary assured.

He also disclosed that in the remaining months of her term, the President will work out to increase the funding for the SIP.

The whole world would agree that armed rebellion is no longer an acceptable means of achieving societal change, he pointed out.

Impressed on the sincerity of Bohol leaders, the secretary assured that for anything that the governor needs, he just a text away and there is no need for a formal communication, saying that if it's the governor, he knows it will be for a good purpose.

He also disclosed that the government has also helped communist leaders join the politics and even in their campagin to show to them that the government is ready to help those who want to join the democratic community.

"There are many ways of helping friends and fellow citizens who want to really consolidate democracy and this is what we are doing. We're telling Joma and company to join the elections and they will be taken seriously. Those who remain in the mountains can come down to the mainstream or they might be left out," he said.

The secretary advised the people to take advantage of having a responsive government.

As recognition to the governor's efforts, Gonzales vowed to arrange with his department and the AFP to come up with an appropriate reward for having "done so much for this effort of peace".

Mgen. Ralph Villanueva, commander of the Central Command of the AFP, also congratulated the governor and the people of Bohol for spearheading the internal security campaign in the Visayas.

Villanueva said he had once recommended to the President to replicate the Poverty Reduction for Peace and Development Program of Team Bohol to other areas in the Visayas that still face challenges.

"As you know, Bohol has served as model for all of us and I emphasized this to our troops and this is being copied in other areas, in the area," he said.

Villanueva, however, pointed out that even with an improved situation in Bohol, the AFP must not leave the province, this time, to engage in sustainability efforts and "ensure that the succes we have experienced here will never be reversed. And that is the commitment of the AFP central command to the people of Bohol. So let us work together"

He also announced that the experience here in Bohol will be duplicated in Regions 6 and 8.

"And with that, we will be able to use the same model in improving the security and development situation here in our country in the other parts of our country. So let us continue working together and let us continue making this experience here in the province as a model for the rest of the country," Villanueva stressed.

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