Indigenous People Turn Back at NPA; IP Chieftain Surrenders NPA Flag

From the Negros Daily Bulletin (Nov 4): Indigenous People Turn Back at NPA; IP Chieftain Surrenders NPA Flag

One hundred one household members from the Indigenous People (IP) Tribu Bukidnon located in Brgy. San Agustin Isabela, Negros Occidental prefer to abandon the armed struggle and declare their place a Peace Community, during rites last October 31, 2013.

In the ceremonial pledge to the conduct of non-violence during the Indigenous People’s Month, IP Tribal Chieftain Jacinto Dadlis turned over the red flag of the New People’s Army (NPA) to Gov. Alfredo Maranon Jr.

Asked why Dadlis turned over the NPA flag to the good Governor, the former said "We do not seek violence anymore, we just want to go back with our lives practicing and enriching our culture and tradition even more. We trust and lift our hope to the government that’s why I decided to turn over the flag instead of burning it.".

In an interview with one of the IPs, he acknowledged the significant role of the Bayanihan Teams in the area as an eye-opener. He said that through the soldiers’ constant dialogue, visibility, deeds in listening and resolving their issues, and delivery of basic services, he said to himself everything that was going on was contrary to the ideology inculcated by the New People’s Army (NPA). "There is indeed a government; we were used and blinded," said one of the IPs who refused to divulge his identity for security reasons.

Maranon expressed appreciation for the Tribu Bukidnon for deciding to return to the mainstream.

According to him as part of the aid the Provincial Government will offer are the construction Grades 1 and 2 classroom, construction of public road for Sitio Mahupaho, Hanging Bridges crossing the three rivers and water pipe needed for four sitios linking one house to another.

Col. Jon N. Aying of the 303rd Infantry Brigade of the Army on the other hand said. "in celebrating and commemorating the Indigenous People’s Month, we remember the richness of our ancestors’ culture and tradition. It is like going back to our roots; and that is our moral values. "We, in the military are optimistic that in some areas of the Province the state of normalcy is possible to achieve."

Isabela Mayor Enrique Montilla, for his part acknowledged the presence of the governor as according to him wherever the governor is, development follows.
For the IPs, "they intend to strengthen their kinship even more with one another. They claimed that their vulnerability was taken advantaged and vowed to never again be deceived by the NPA who gave them loud but empty promises or any other outside forces who will try to endanger their way of living as IPs."

Gov. Maranon further encouraged them to continue their way of living nurturing their ancestral domain culture. He added that the Provincial Government have a lot of opportunities and programs prepared for them and the stakeholders both from the government agencies and non-government agencies as well. "Ang atong Gobernador, ang Amay sang Negros Occidental ari subong sa pagdala sang mga programa nga igahatag kag ipaabot sa aton nga mga IP". The message was clear; it says it all.

http://www.ndb-online.com/110413/local-news/local-news-indigenous-people-turn-back-npa-ip-chieftain-surrenders-npa-flag