PEACE ADVOCACY. Matuguinao Mayor Aran Boller delivers his speech during a peace advocacy gathering on Monday (Jan. 20, 2020). He said wiping out the decades-old insurgency in Matuguinao town in Samar has been identified as the top priority of his administration. (PNA photo by Roel Amazona)
MATUGUINAO, Samar -- Wiping out the decades-old insurgency in this impoverished and conflict-stricken town has been identified as the top priority of the local government.
During the peace advocacy on Monday, Mayor Aran Boller said he wants to end insurgency while he is still the local chief executive of the town.
Boller said that development has been elusive for Matuguinao because of the New People’s Army’s (NPA) presence in the town's villages and their constant threat to residents.
It is a fifth-class municipality with a population of almost 8,000 people from 20 villages and was only connected to the national road in 2018 after the completion of 21-kilometer Gandara-Matuguinao Road funded by the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process’ Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (Pamana).
“I am urging those who are still supporting the NPA, the militia who are still with them to return to the folds of the law. I don’t want to say surrender because you have to raise your both hands, but rather I would tell you to return to the folds of the law and embrace once again our government,” Boller said.
The local government organized Monday's gathering at the municipal covered court and attended by village officials, residents at the town center, local government employees, and key officials of the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police in Samar province.
“You still have three months to do it before the full implementation of Executive Order 70 (EO 70) in this town,” Boller told officials.
EO 70 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in December 2018 aims to address the root causes of insurgency to end local armed conflict in the countryside through the whole-of-nation approach.
“Before the full implementation of EO 70 in Matuguinao, I am urging all NPA members and their supporters in our town to please renounce the communist group and return to the government and live in a normal community not only for your children but also for the next generation,” he asked.
Boller said residents, who are supporters of the communist group may always deny their involvement, but they are already identified by former rebels.
The mayor added some of these supporters convinced or recruited residents of Matuguinao as young as 12 and 14 years old to join the armed struggle.
“There were already plans to kill me because I am supporting the government campaign to end insurgency. I tell you, for as long as I am still here in Matuguinao, I want to have a legacy, a legacy for all the people and that is to end insurgency,” he added.
Boller also dared village officials in Matuguinao to stop supporting the communist group as this means being a traitor to what they have sworn in duty as government officials.
Col. Camilo Ligayo, Philippine Army’s 801st Brigade commander, said the military forces in the region also shared the same sentiment with Boller on government officials supporting or aiding the communist group.
“You have committed to help the government and give service to your people, your loyalty, therefore, is to the government,” Ligayo said.
There are still five villages in the town influenced by insurgents, but the mayor declined to name the areas.
Samar police provincial director, Col. Andre Dizon also urged village officials to reject NPA influence because of their twisted and inhumane ideology.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1091475
During the peace advocacy on Monday, Mayor Aran Boller said he wants to end insurgency while he is still the local chief executive of the town.
Boller said that development has been elusive for Matuguinao because of the New People’s Army’s (NPA) presence in the town's villages and their constant threat to residents.
It is a fifth-class municipality with a population of almost 8,000 people from 20 villages and was only connected to the national road in 2018 after the completion of 21-kilometer Gandara-Matuguinao Road funded by the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process’ Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (Pamana).
“I am urging those who are still supporting the NPA, the militia who are still with them to return to the folds of the law. I don’t want to say surrender because you have to raise your both hands, but rather I would tell you to return to the folds of the law and embrace once again our government,” Boller said.
The local government organized Monday's gathering at the municipal covered court and attended by village officials, residents at the town center, local government employees, and key officials of the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police in Samar province.
“You still have three months to do it before the full implementation of Executive Order 70 (EO 70) in this town,” Boller told officials.
EO 70 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in December 2018 aims to address the root causes of insurgency to end local armed conflict in the countryside through the whole-of-nation approach.
“Before the full implementation of EO 70 in Matuguinao, I am urging all NPA members and their supporters in our town to please renounce the communist group and return to the government and live in a normal community not only for your children but also for the next generation,” he asked.
Boller said residents, who are supporters of the communist group may always deny their involvement, but they are already identified by former rebels.
The mayor added some of these supporters convinced or recruited residents of Matuguinao as young as 12 and 14 years old to join the armed struggle.
“There were already plans to kill me because I am supporting the government campaign to end insurgency. I tell you, for as long as I am still here in Matuguinao, I want to have a legacy, a legacy for all the people and that is to end insurgency,” he added.
Boller also dared village officials in Matuguinao to stop supporting the communist group as this means being a traitor to what they have sworn in duty as government officials.
Col. Camilo Ligayo, Philippine Army’s 801st Brigade commander, said the military forces in the region also shared the same sentiment with Boller on government officials supporting or aiding the communist group.
“You have committed to help the government and give service to your people, your loyalty, therefore, is to the government,” Ligayo said.
There are still five villages in the town influenced by insurgents, but the mayor declined to name the areas.
Samar police provincial director, Col. Andre Dizon also urged village officials to reject NPA influence because of their twisted and inhumane ideology.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1091475
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