ILOILO – Four conflict-affected barangays in Calinog town may be declared insurgency-free if a revalidation of data would show that, indeed, there is no more Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) rebels in them.
They were barangays Marandig, Aglonok, Caratagan, and Garangan.
During a recent meeting with the Philippine Army, municipal and barangay officials, Captain Genesis Roque, Calinog police chief, said these barangays passed the parameters set for a village to be declared insurgency-free.
Roque said the four villages – considered as “high-risk areas” – passed the initial evaluation and assessment of the Joint Armed Forces of the Philippines-Philippine National Police Civil Relations Committee (JAPCRC).
During the evaluation process, the JAPCRC deployed a community support team which assessed if these barangays are qualified.
A barangay will only be declared insurgency-free when the parameters are met such as the dismantling of CPP-NPA politico-military structure; the denial of CPP-NPA access to the area, resources, and manpower; and the establishment of a functioning barangay information network and integrated community public safety system, among others.
“These four barangay met the parameters being set. But they are still subject to the revalidation process,” Roque said.
Calinog is made of 59 villages mostly located in mountainous areas.
For his part, Major Cenon Pancito III, spokesperson of the 3rd Infantry Division (3ID), said the Army is fast tracking the clearing of barangays as a way of dismantling guerilla fronts.
“Though the barangays still have to go through revalidation processes by higher authorities, we are confident the Army – together with partners and various stakeholders – have done the right thing in rechannelling the perception of these communities from once sympathetic to the NPAs into partners of the government in nation building,” Pancito said./PN
