Army chief in Western Visayas backs localized peace talks with NPA

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 28): Army chief in Western Visayas backs localized peace talks with NPA

The chief of the Philippine Army in Western Visayas has expressed support to the localized peace talks with the New People’s Army (NPA) being pushed by his predecessor and Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr.

Brig. Gen. Aurelio Baladad, newly-installed commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, said that the peace process undertaken by the government with the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) is one form of localized peace talks.

“We are for it,” said Baladad, who was in Negros Island to visit the Army troops over the weekend.

Former 3rd ID chief, Maj. Gen. Jose Mabanta, had also been calling for localized peace talks with the NPA in the region during his term.

Baladad said he is optimistic that localized peace talks even with the NPA can work out.

This can be attained if “all of us will work together,” he said, adding that “the problem as far as insurgency is concerned is multi-faceted.”

What people can see is just the tip of the problem, he added.

“What is visible is just the armed group of the NPA but the problem is not just the armed component of the NPA rebels,” Baladad said.

He pointed out the insurgency problem has social, economic and political dimensions and all these have to be considered because these compose 70 percent of the problem.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=548893