ILOILO – Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. is not about to swallow hook, line and sinker the Iloilo Police Provincial Office’s (IPPO) claim that five mayors, two vice mayors and nine municipal councilors are supportive of the New People’s Army (NPA).
“I need time to investigate that and to confer with the police provincial director. What does ‘supportive’ mean,” said Defensor.
What were the prevailing circumstances that led to such conclusion, he asked.
According to the governor, the situation may be a little more complex.
“It’s not that simple. Ang aton local government officials work on the ground. They are in constant contact with their constituents. So I have to be clarified kon ano ang buot silingon sang ‘support’ nga amo sina. Usisaon anay,” said Defensor.
IPPO director Police Colonel Roland Vilela had said these mayors, vice mayors and municipal councilors were paying revolutionary tax to the NPA and during the midterm elections they paid the rebels “permit to campaign” fees.
“’Di ba it’s a form of support,” said Vilela.
According to the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), 32 elected local officials in Western Visayas enjoyed the support of the NPA in the May midterm elections and could now be paying the rebels back with support.
PRO-6 spokesperson Police Lieutenant Joem Malong said of these 32 officials, 11 were elected mayor and six were elected vice mayor.
Malong, however, acknowledged it would be difficult to prove that these local officials are now paying the insurgents back with monetary or logistical support unless witnesses surface.
“We need physical evidence to pin them down,” said Malong.
Local officials proven to be supportive of rebels face criminal and administrative charges.
In Capiz, according to Malong, there were four mayors, two vice mayors and three town councilors while in Negros Occidental, there were two elected mayors, two vice mayors, two municipal councilors, and a provincial board member.
While Defensor intends to get more facts from Vilela, the governor reiterated the goal of the Duterte administration which is to solve the insurgency problem and achieve inclusive and sustainable peace through good governance.
The provincial government will be forming the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) – a local counterpart of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) that President Rodrigo Duterte created December last year.
Defensor expressed alarm over the series of clashes between government troops and rebels in the municipalities of Miag-ao and Igbaras.
While the NTF-ELCAC aims a whole-of-nation approach in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace, the PTF-ELCAC’s tack would be whole-of-province.
“This is good because the thrust of Governor Defensor is social justice. The framework is already there. All we have to do is make the implementation plan,” said Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Iloilo director Teodora Sumagaysay.
Defensor said the provincial government has programs that could help address the insurgency problem; one of these is building road networks even in remote areas.
These road networks are envisioned to usher economic development even in far-flung areas. Economic difficulty is one of the factors driving people to rebel, Defensor explained.
Based on DILG Memorandum Circular 2019-125, a joint resolution of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and the Provincial Development Council (PDC) is needed for the creation of the task force. It will be chaired by the governor./PN
