Mountain Province leaders, residents hold indignation rally to denounce NPA atrocities

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 4): Mountain Province leaders, residents hold indignation rally to denounce NPA atrocities

Political and religious leaders led an indignation rally last Tuesday at the Provincial Plaza here condemning the attack by members of the New Peoples Army to a contingent of police trainees in the municipality of Tadian last June 28.

Congressman Maximo Dalog, Sr., Governor Leonard Mayaen, Bishop Brent Alawas of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Philippines (EDNP) and other local officials took turns in denouncing the treacherous act of the NPA against the helpless and unarmed police scout trainees.

Based on the Provincial Police Office report, some 95 Police Scout trainees and four of their instructors were on their regular early morning jogging exercises last Friday when they were fired upon by suspected NPA rebel along the national road at sitio Am-o, Tadian. One trainee was killed on the spot while nine others were injured. Latest report, however, said one of the wounded died at the hospital.

In his emotion-filled talk, Dalog said the people of the province are peace-loving people; they abhor violence and that they want peace in their midst.

“We condemn in the strongest word the atrocities of the NPA of the Leonardo Pacsi Command,” the solon declared as he lauded the provincial official for initiating the indignation rally.

“We are also gathered today to express as one people our sympathy to the families of the victims and to pray for the fast recovery of the wounded trainees in this unfortunate incident” Dalog said.

He then urged the big crowd of rallyists to make a commitment to work together towards a peaceful province saying that peace and order is not only the responsibility of the police or the army.

On the other hand, Bishop Alawas said the EDNP joins the peace-loving people of the province in denouncing the latest ambush which he described as a grim reminder of the enormous wars between the government soldiers and the rebels for than 40 years now.

The Bishop said Christian faith calls us to denounce the continuing violence or armed conflict involving NPA rebels against government forces saying violence does not solve our problem but rather make our problems worse.

Alawas said doing non-violence steps will pave the way for a dialogue that “if pursued with sincerity and without reservation could lead to a genuine peace.”

The Bishop called on the NPA rebels to heed the call of the people and to cease from conducting further ambushes as this will only led to militarization. In militarization as observed in the past, it is the civilians who suffer the most, he stressed.

In the same program, Board Member Alfonso Kiat-ong read a SB Resolution they passed on Monday strongly condemning the ambush incident perpetrated by armed groups to the police scout trainees in Tadian and also to express sympathy to the families of the victims and to pray for the immediate recovery of the wounded policemen.

In his closing message, Mayaen who earlier “condemn in the highest degree the act of the NPA” said the people have spoken loud and clear that they want peace and that the NPA rebels are not welcome and they have to leave Mt. Province.

Mayaen chided the NPA rebels that if they are really concern about the people and if they want progress in the province, they have to listen and heed the sentiments of the people as aired by the speakers and written in the placards and streamers of the rallyists.

The governor informed the crowd that he will continue the program he initiated during his first term to work out for the declaration of the province as a zone of peace.

The indignation rally started off with a parade around the capital-town which saw the participation of national and local government employees, faculty, staff and students of the two colleges as well as the elementary and high schools in the capital-town, Tadian constituents led by mayor Anthony Wooden, local officials and representatives from other municipalities, church people and civil society groups.

Vice President Jejomar Binay and Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas have also condemned this ambush incident.

http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=131372839276