Presence of rebels tops peace challenges in Davao Region

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 29): Presence of rebels tops peace challenges in Davao Region

Continued presence of the insurgency network in communities tops the list of peace and development challenges in the Davao Region.

Regional Development Council (RDC) 11 Chairperson Rodolfo P. Del Rosario revealed this during the second round of the RDC Press Briefing on September 25.

He said that the Communist Party of the Philippine-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CNN) targets farmers, women, and youth, putting at risk 13 percent of the barangays in the Davao Region.

To counter such move, Del Rosario saw it fit to target members of the CNN armed groups in rolling out the priority programs, activities and projects of the government.

“If armed groups have  farmers, women and youth as targets, we must also have them as our targets in pursuing our priority PAPs,” he said in his opening statement during the RDC Press Briefing held at the Conference Hall of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) XI in Bangkal, Davao City.

In presenting the Chapter 8 entitled “Peace and Development”, of the 2014-2016 Updated Davao Regional Development Plan, RDC 11 Vice Chairperson Ma. Lourdes Lim of NEDA 11 revealed the six other challenges to peace in the region.

Ranking next  are the prevention of the CNN resurgence in cleared barangays; sustaining the gains of Peace and Development Outreach Programs (PDOP); convergence in delivering economic and social services;  gaps in skills/ capability and support equipment in maintaining law and order; the disadvantaged indigenous peoples and the lack of judges, prosecutors and halls of justice in newly created cities and municipalities.

To  counter these challenges, the Plan has set to increase the crime solution efficiency rate from 14.10 percent in 2010 to 41.74 percent in 2016; to free all barangays from influence of CNN by the same year; reduce the number of insurgents by 80 percent;  reduce the number of atrocities perpetrated by insurgents by 90 percent;  increase case resolution  rate by Lupong Tagapamayapa; and establish 1,932 schools adopting peace concept by 2016.

Despite the challenges, Del Rosario saw it timely to further invest on peace and development which has presently become an open subject of discussion unlike in the past when such topic was wrapped in fear.

He believed that discussion on  peace has reached its  farthest level with  the approval of the Comprehensive Agreement on  the Bangsamoro (CAB) which consequently has formed part of history.

In the same forum,  Major  Gen. Eduardo Ano, commander of the 10th Infantry Brigade found hope of resolving the insurgency problem through peace talks with the approval of CAB and the progress of mainstreaming the Bangsangmoro in Philippine governance after decades of engaging in conflict with the government.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=1591411960478