Majority of the country’s local government units (LGUs) have provided support to the national government’s efforts to end the more than five decades of communist insurgency in the country by declaring the group as persona non grata in their respective localities, an official of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Monday, May 24.
“As one of the lead implementing agencies in localizing Executive Order (EO) No. 70, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) remains steadfast in working closely with the local government units (LGUs) to end the decades-long Communist terrorism problem in the Philippines,’’ Malaya said who is also the spokesperson for local government affairs, barangay development program, international engagement of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), said DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya.
“For many decades, Filipinos have been deceived, manipulated, extorted, and murdered by CTGs (government describes communist insurgents as Community Terrorist Groups) in their goal to overthrow the Philippine government and establish a communist rule,’’ he added.
In his presentation during the NTF-ELCAC briefing, Malaya reported that latest DILG figures revealed that 1,436 LGUs out of the 1,715 LGUs in the country have approved resolutions denouncing the atrocities of the CTGs and declared them persona non grata.
The remaining 279 LGUs are in various stages of deliberation in their respective provincial, city, and municipal councils.
“This means that 84 percent of LGUs nationwide have formally expressed denouncement of CTGs through their Sanggunian’s issuance of resolutions,’’ Malaya noted.
Among the 17 regions, Malaya said six regions have already garnered 100 percent percent declaration of persona non grata to the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peop;e's Army- National Democratic Front of the Philippines) , namely Central Luzon, Region 4-B, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, SOCCSKSARGEN, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
The DILG official added that four regions are nearing absolute declaration of persona non grata, with Ilocos Region at 99 percent declaration, Cagayan Valley at 98 percent, Region 4-A at 94 percent, and Northern Mindanao at 95 percent.
In Metro Manila, Malaya bared that nine out of the 16 cities and one municipality have passed resolutions condemning the atrocities of the CTGs and declaring CPP-NPA-NDF as persona non grata.
The said nine Metro Manila LGUs are Caloocan City, Las Piñas City, Mandaluyong City, Muntinlupa City, Navotas City, Pasig City, Quezon City, San Juan City and Valenzuela City.
“We are truly grateful for the support of more LGUs in the fight against Communist terrorism, and we are looking forward to these numbers to increase this year,’’ Malaya disclosed.
Citing the importance of the declaration of persona non grata resolutions of the 1,436 in their respective areas, Malaya explained that this a testament to the condemnation of the atrocities of the CTGs and “declaring them persona non grata is an express declaration of the sentiment of the local government unit (LGU) composed of elected officials who are the voice of their constituents.’’
Malaya noted that this is simply the people’s message for the CTGs to end their pretentious and manipulative schemes that make it appear that your ideologies are for the country’s benefit.
He noted that the DILG’s programs assure the government’s continuous bid to attain genuine peace in the country
Among them are the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP), Capacitating Urban Communities for Peace and Development (CUCPD), Barangay Development Program (BDP), and the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP).
“RCSP is a convergence mechanism for local governments to identify issues and needed government interventions,’’ Malaya explained.
Under the RCSP, Malaya noted that 1,331 out of the 1,394 target barangays are undergoing the implementation of the various phases of the program.
Aside from the RCSP, the DILG implements the CUCPD as a platform for convergence and collaboration among all stakeholders in improving the institutional capacity of LGUs in urban areas.
Under the BDP, a total of P12.3-billion or 75 percent of the total budget of P16.44-billion for the 822 BDP recipients have been released to recipient LGUs as of May 23, 2021, accounting for a total of 1,756 projects whose allocations were approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
As of May 21, 2021, ECLIP the DILG-administered package of assistance has benefited a total of 6,418 former rebels (FRs) and Militia ng Bayan who have been provided with financial assistance. 3,965 of these are regular NPAs while 2,453 are Militia ng Bayan.
“Six thousand one hundred sixty four FRs (former rebels) received immediate assistance amounting to P15,000 for each FR; 3,744 FRs received livelihood assistance amounting to P50,000 for each FR; 1,430 FRs received firearms remuneration; and 5,198 received reintegration assistance amounting to P21,000 per each FR,’’ the DILG official revealed.
As of May 21, 2021, Malaya reported that financial assistance of P5 million was extended to each 42 LGU beneficiary provinces and highly urbanized cities (HUCs) for the construction of halfway houses or facilities to serve as temporary shelters for surrendering FRs and as venues in the conduct of rehabilitation or healing sessions and education or skills training activities.