BUENAVISTA, Agusan del Norte – The troopers of 23rd Infantry Battalion joined the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and other line agencies of the government in a visitation and consultation activity with the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) on August 3, 2020 at Barangay Simbalan, Buenavista town.
The activity was graced by Secretary Allen Capuyan, chair of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) and Head of NTF-ELCAC and was attended by nearly two hundred (200) tribal leaders and members from the towns of Las Nieves, Buenavista, Nasipit and Carmen in Agusan del Norte.
Lt. Col. Julius Cesar C. Paulo, the Acting Commander of 23rd IB said the activity is important and very timely considering that the IPs in the said four (4) towns in Agusan del Norte are greatly affected not only by the health threats of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic but also from the intimidations and extortions of the remaining Communist New People’s Army Terrorists (CNTs) in their communities.
The towns of Las Nieves, Buenavista, Nasipit and Carmen are under the operational jurisdiction of the 23rd IB.
“Many innocent lives of ordinary IPs and their leaders were lost here in the province of Agusan del Norte and the rest of Caraga Region due to the continued terroristic activities of the CNTs,” Paulo said.
He took note of the IP killings perpetrated by the CNTs even when the people of Caraga Region are battling against the spread of COVID-19.
“CNT manipulations are the real threat to the IPs which destroy their future by deceiving them to join their useless ideology. The IP communities, their families and children continue to suffer and the CNTs continue to sow fear and chaos, not only in communities in Agusan del Norte but also in the rest of the region,” Paulo said.
He added that the consultation on Monday served as a venue for the Higaonon tribal leaders to ventilate the situations in their communities.
The activity gathered the tribal leaders from Higaonon tribe in the four towns of Agusan del Norte for consultation and discussion on the situation inside their ancestral domains, most of which are situated in Conflict-Affected Areas (CAAs) and Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) in the province.
Sec. Allen Capuyan and the representatives from different line agencies heeded to the accounts made by IP leaders that dwelled most on the security, peace and order situation in their respective communities and ancestral domains. The tribal leaders also raised the issue on the issuance of the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) which they regard as an important document to establish ownership of their ancestral domain claims. According to them, the lack of CADT impedes the plan of every tribal community to further develop their ancestral lands. They added that left-leaning groups with links to the Communist New People’s Army Terrorists (CNTs) also exploit the lack of CADTs in communities and use the issue to recruit more IP members to join their movement.
During the consultation, Sec. Capuyan emphasized the salient provisions on the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) as the basis to pursue the efforts of tribal communities for the issuance of CADT for their ancestral domains. The NCIP chair also emphasized IPRA provisions that ensure the rights of the IPs to their ancestral domains.
The tribal leaders also expressed optimism on the issues and concerns they raised on their ancestral domain will be addressed with the presence of Sec. Capuyan and the other agencies of the government. Among the IP leaders who joined the activity was Datu Eddie Ampiyawan, the Indigenous People Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of Agusan del Norte who urged the leaders of Higaonon tribe to support the efforts of the government and cooperate with the moves of the NCIP and other line agencies in the processing of the issuance of CADTs for their ancestral domains.
“The efforts of the government will remain futile if we do not cooperate,” Ampiyawan said, as he assured Sec. Capuyan and the representatives of the line agencies of the continuing support of the Higaonon tribe to the efforts of the government to bring peace and development in the province. “As a tribal leader of Agusan del Norte, I can assure the continued support of the Higaonon and Manobo tribes to the government. We will strengthen our support through our unity to oppose the leftist groups that cause all the disorders and troubles in our communities,” Ampiyawan said.
The activity was also joined by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), the 402nd Infantry Brigade, and the Police Regional Office (PRO-13).
A total of two hundred (200) hygiene kits were also distributed to the tribe leaders and members present in the said activity.
“Your government servants, especially your army will never cease to extend help, bring programs, projects and services and always willing to hear the voices of our beloved IPs. We will protect and safeguard you from the CNTs and uphold your human rights as we look forward to ending the insurgency in your communities to attain long-lasting peace and sustainable development,” Paulo said.
He added that the Army, as an active part of NTF-ELCAC, will continue to encourage the IPs to help the government fight insurgency that has caused poverty, hunger and conflicts in IP communities.
“Let us help each other to end armed struggle to improve the lives of the IPs and to fasten the development in the identified Conflict-Affected Areas and Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas in Caraga Region,” Paulo said.
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https://www.kalinawnews.com/army-ncip-ntf-elcac-team-empower-ip-communities-in-agnor/
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