(By Gail Momblan)
REDS UNWELCOME. Tubungan Mayor Roquito Tacsagon on Tuesday (Dec. 24, 2019) plans to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) unwelcome following the attack on police officers in Singon village on Monday. Tacsagon said the Municipal Peace and Order Council of Tubungan will convene on Dec. 27 for the declaration. (PNA photo by Gail Momblan)
ILOILO CITY -- The mayor of Tubungan town, Iloilo said he will push for the declaration of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) as persona non grata following the ambush in Singon village on Monday.
In a press conference at Tubungan municipal hall on Tuesday, Mayor Roquito Tacsagon condemned the attack by the rebels against the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company (1st PMFC) using an anti-personnel mine.
The police were on their way back to the headquarters after the declaration of the bilateral ceasefire between the government and the CPP-NPA when they were ambushed.
Two police officers were injured during the attack.
“We condemn the activity of the rebels given that the ceasefire was effective already at midnight (of December 2 to 3), but their action has affected the people, economy, and the tourism in the town,” Tacsagon said.
He had called on the town’s board members immediately after the incident on Monday to come up with countermeasures on the peace and order problem.
Tacsagon said they agreed to convene the Municipal Peace and Order Council (MPOC) on Friday to declare the rebels persona non grata.
He said insurgency is considered as the "perennial" problem in Tubungan and it is high time to declare the Reds unwelcome.
“In my six months term, I do not want that the problem in the past will return, that Tubungan was known to be infested by the CPP-NPA. We are working on steps to address insurgency,” he said.
He estimated that there are around nine to 11 upland villages affected by the presence of the rebels.
Recruitment was also monitored, he said, as rebels approach and influence young farmers to join the armed struggle.
With the declaration of the Reds unwelcome, Tacsagon said the town is promoting peace.
“We in the local government of Tubungan is ready to welcome surrenderers. They still have time to return to the fold of the government and the government will not neglect you. I also appeal to them not to make our town a playing ground because this is not the solution for genuine peace,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Joel Benedict Batara, commander of the 61st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, welcomes the plan of Tubungan to declare the CPP-NPA persona non grata.
“If they declare the communist terrorists persona non-grata, down the line, the village chiefs will be more motivated and they will see it as a driving force on their part. They will not hesitate to support the move of the municipal task force in ending local communist armed conflict,” Batara said in the same press conference.
He said the Army has consistently coordinated with the Philippine National Police to secure Tubungan town.
In the remaining days of the ceasefire, the commander said they could not predict any harassment by the CPP-NPA.
He said the guidelines of the ceasefire were disseminated up to the lowest unit of the troops an assured the Philippine Army respects the guidelines.
"The guidelines are strict that there will be no combat operations but we are not tied to defend ourselves and the community because we have to do our mandate,” he said.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1089452
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