Gov't security forces, GAs gain headway versus insurgency, says Army top official

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 5): Gov't security forces, GAs gain headway versus insurgency, says Army top official

The Government Security Forces and the various government line agencies in the region had gained headway in addressing and fighting insurgency here in the region, a top Army official said.

Major General Oscar T. Lactao, Commander of the 4th Infantry “Diamond” Division, said at a forum in Butuan City that the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the support units and the various government line agencies in a joint efforts dubbed as “Whole Of Nation Initiative” where all the government line agencies reached out to the remote places, particularly the indigenous people to render the needed basic services.

The concerned agencies, Lactao said, jointly addressed five needed areas such as internal security operations: by the AFP, the PNP and other support units; legal: the Department of Justice, the National Commission for Indigenous People and the Commission of Human Rights; development: the Department of Public Work and Highways, Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, DOST, TESDA and DepED; social protection: DSWD, DOH and PhilHealth and the local government units spearheaded by the DILG.

”We cannot stop insurgency by means of arms only. We need the joint efforts of all agencies, the other sectors and stakeholders,” Lactao said.

Here in Caraga region, because of the whole of the nation initiative (WNI), all parameters set up for the declaration of a local government as peaceful and ready for further development in the region are now realized in some and started taking shape and soon to be fully realized in others, Lactao said.

The joint efforts made it hard for the insurgents to recruit more followers in a certain remote area, reduced their number, firearms, logistics and manpower, lessened the number of affected villages and even the NPA initiated violence (NIVI), claimed Lactao.

As for the “normalization process,” 401st Brigade Commander Col. Alexander Macario said that in his area, Butuan City and Agusan del Norte is ready for the declaration as “peaceful and ready for further development.” Macario said that all the parameters in these areas are present and is just awaiting for the appropriate date. The 403rd Brigade Commander Col. Jesse Alvarez also said that in his area, Camuigin, Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon is also ready for the said declaration, and he had already made consultation and coordination with the local government of the said places, and most probably within the first quarter of next year.

Lactao pointed out that social, political, economic and other developments will not be gained overnight. According to him that as soon as the poverty level in the region will be reduced to just 10% the NPAs “will just become irrelevant,” Lactao said.

The Army official said that Caraga during the 80’s had an 80 percent poverty level. Now, he said it goes down to 30 percent. Education during the same period was at 50 percent. Now, it had risen to 90 percent, Lactao claimed.

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