The Bantay-Bayanihan (BB) Visayas Network on Friday gave a rating of “above satisfactory performance” to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) implementation in the Visayas region during the first quarter of 2013.
A network of Bantay-Bayanihan Visayas Team reported that the operational procedures of the Philippine Army in the Visayas, which is composed of two Army Divisions, lagged behind in terms of policy implementation in ensuring consistency of its operations.
The monitoring and evaluation, in which the rating was made, covers the military that implements IPSP in the provinces of Samar, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran, the rest of towns and cities in Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental.
On a positive note, “joint efforts by the AFP and PNP is gaining grounds relative to fighting insurgency. While some local politicians still supporting the NPA and other private groups, the LGU support at higher level is visible,” said Rommel L. Rutor, co-convener of the BB Eastern Visayas.
“The fall-out is that, these policies accordingly are already present but are not clearly defined to the BB concerned,” the BB convener said suggesting that the security sector should enhance further engagement with the local BBs.
When asked on how they evaluate and assess these AFP’s IPSP implementations, he said: “Once we hold the data from our sources, we validate it from our own data base as well as compare it to the information provided by the military.”
“We actually do it two to three weeks prior to the scheduled evaluation or actual filling of the local matrix (by the AFP),” Rutor said.
“If there are no recorded adverse reports during the quarter, regardless of the truthfulness of the figures presented by the AFP as to the number of their combat operations, the BB would rate the same as YES; but if conflicts or issues (human rights violations, number of KIA, missing enemy’s, etc) are present, then it should reflect (on their score card),” he added.
Meanwhile, AFP Central Command chief Lt.Gen. Roy Deveraturda, in his reactions to the BB report, welcomed the positive results and likewise committed to respond on the lapses.
“We will furnish you any data you want to make the assessment and evaluation more comprehensive,” the CenCom chief said assuring to conduct more local engagement with BBs on the ground.
On its IPSP evaluation report, a copy of which obtained by the PNA, B/Gen. Rodelio V. Santos, AFP Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations said the AFP is now moving forward as regard to their IPSP implementation.
He said that through the AFP intensive campaign against the insurgents, the CPP-NPA-NDF trend of initiated violence had decreased 25 percent from 2010 with 501 incidents to only 230 incidents recorded as of August 2013.
According to the AFP, the IPSP Bayanihan also improved internal peace and security situation in a nationwide scope.
“Forty-six percent of the rebels affected provinces have undergone normalization. Under normalization, the LGU takes the lead role in ensuring local peace and security. By the end of 2013, we aim to have normalization to another 20 provinces,” B/Gen. Santos disclosed.
The BB is a civil-society led initiative that aims to create an oversight body over the armed forces, including defense and security policies (strategic, tactical and operational levels).
In the Visayas, the monitoring and evaluation of Bayanihan started in January 2013 through Catbalogan City-based Bantay Kalinaw Sinirangan Bisayas, BB Negros Oriental (
All of these BBs had their network of non-government offices, people’s organization, academe, media, religious groups and other organizations in their midst as either members or source of information.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=560488
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