Army optimistic to declare NegOr insurgency free before end of 2015

From the Visayan Daily Star (Jul 17): Army optimistic to declare NegOr insurgency free before end of 2015

Negros Oriental is on its way to becoming insurgency-free by the end of 2015, with government and civilian authorities saying the end goal is worth all the efforts put together by stakeholders.

Col. Allan Martin, commander of the 302 nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army based in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental, said despite some random skirmishes with the New People's Army recently, he is optimistic the province will be declared free of the insurgency problem.

The AFP and the PNP had declared Negros Oriental as conflict manageable and development ready in May 2014.

The NPA, the armed component of the National Democratic Front-Communist Party of the Philippines, continues to pose a threat to the peace and order and security of Negros Oriental, which authorities say is the only province in Region 7 still facing such rebellion.

But the threat level has been downgraded as military authorities claim to have kept the NPA on the run and whose numbers are now diminishing.

Martin said the Armed Forces of the Philippines is targeting the second and third districts of Negros Oriental because of strong indications the rebellion is slowing down. The NPA is actually becoming weaker in these two districts, he added, and admitted that insurgency is still a force to be reckoned with in the first district as the military faces the problem of “reinforcement of (rebels) from Negros Occidental.”

During a briefing at the Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting at the Capitol Tuesday, the Army said the NPA membership continues to dwindle as government keeps on encouraging the rebels to surrender.

The Army said majority of the NPA groups are in Negros Occidental, parts of northern Negros Oriental, and “remnants” of the NPA's South East Front in the southern part of Negros.

The CPP/NPA/NDF “operating in the province is losing its mass support, thus, cannot recruit new members”, but are being reinforced from other fronts, such as from the region and from Northern Negros.

Martin lauded the provincial government of Negros Oriental for its unwavering support to provide former rebels with financial assistance to start a livelihood program of their choice, and one-time cash aid.

The Comprehensive Livelihood Integration Program of the national government, through the local governments, is designed to help former rebels and their families return to normal life and reintegrate themselves in society.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development said that from 2011 to 2013, the CLIP had been availed of 22 regular NPA members and 37 Yunit Militias from Negros Oriental.

DSWD provincial chief Alice Legarde said the YMs who have opted to surrender were given cash and livelihood assistance after having undergone an evaluation under the CLIP.

Last year, 33 former rebels, four of them females, were given immediate cash and livelihood assistance of P65,000 each in a ceremony attended by Gov. Roel Degamo, Army and police officials, representatives of government agencies, and civil society organizations.

This year, four NPA members also surrendered in June and were presented to Degamo at the Capitol, who welcomed them and promised financial aid to help them reintegrate in mainstream society.

A fifth one is undergoing the process and all five of them shall be evaluated before the release of their cash and livelihood assistance, Martin said, adding they are expecting more NPA rebels, especially from the guerilla fronts operating in Negros Oriental, to surrender.*

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2015/July/17/negor2.htm