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By Ma. Ester L. Espina, Correspondent
BACOLOD CITY: National Security
Adviser Norberto Gonzales challenged local government
officials to be more proactive in the fight against armed rebellion
during the Region 4 Local Peace and Security Assembly
at the La Planta Hotel on Wednesday.
Gonzales did not hide his
frustration over the role of local government units (LGUs) in
helping implement programs in the countryside. The success of
quelling armed rebellion, he said, does not depend on military
operations but more on the political aspect which includes
development and bringing basic services to the people.
“Despite monumental efforts of
our government to speed up certain development programs, these are
not moving fast enough,” Gonzales told local officials.
He also expressed his
disappointment in the bureaucracy, particularly in the system of
procurement which causes delay in the planned modernization of the
armed forces.
“How can our Army fight
effectively if they have the same armaments as that of the
rebels,” he added, saying the upgrading of the military is long
overdue.
He lauded the Philippine Army’s
efforts but stressed that civilian and LGU participation is very
crucial. “LGUs truly understand their environment and should
volunteer and be given a bigger role in handling matters of
insurgency.”
Western Visayas remains a
stronghold of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s
Army (NPA) with five guerrilla fronts operating in Panay Island and
three others in Negros Island, including one led by rebel priest
Frank Fernandez.
The Army however stressed that
there has been a notable downtrend of NPA influence in Negros,
adding that this can be attributed to “more stakeholders actively
supporting anti-insurgency campaigns.”
But the military also
acknowledged that “the NPA continues to be a threat,” reportedly
with 405 armed rebels and still affecting 749 barangays in Western
Visayas.
From January 2008 to May 2008,
the Army reported 15 major encounters resulting to the death of nine
rebels, two Army personnel and two police, and wounding of several
others.
The government however stressed
that despite their number and political campaigns, “the NPA is not
strong enough to topple our government but it has kept the nation in
a state of conflict and instability.”
Carol Ann Librojo of the National
Security Council said that without the insurgency problem, “our
gross national product will increase by 1 to 2 percent.”
Gonzales meanwhile also said
that, “politics is the biggest threat to our country today,”
adding that it encourages people to think “destructively instead
of working in harmony.”
“The expression of love for
country is now with anger and reklamo,” he said, scoring a recent
editorial citing him as a cause of human rights violations in the
Philippines.
Gonzales said they have taken a
stance of “not thinking what is popular or unpopular and just
implementing reforms because whatever we do we will be attacked
anyway.”
He also delved into federalism,
challenging local officials to make this into an important
discourse, adding that this might be a way to “find our national
soul and can best be achieved if people recognize that there are
Ilonggo souls, Bicolano souls or Kapampangan souls.”
“Let us develop regions
according to their souls, then maybe we have a chance to create a
new nation and perhaps live in harmony,” he added.
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