Insurgency: Recruitment of Minors

It should not be forgotten that the AFP has declared the NPA to be strategically defeated, leaderless, incapable of carrying out operations, and incapable of recruiting. Yet apparently the NPA is recruiting minors in Northern Samar. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1230040

The local government unit of Palapag, Northern Samar, has urged parents not to allow their children to be recruited by the New People’s Army (NPA).

Palapag Mayor Florence Batula made the appeal a few days after the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) turned over three minors to their families after being recruited by the NPA.

Soldiers of the Philippine Army’s 74th Infantry Battalion rescued the minors after a clash with rebels in Osmeña village in Palapag town on June 3.

The two 14-year-old boys and one 13-year-old boy were brought by the military to the personnel of the Palapag municipal police station and municipal social welfare and development office after their rescue.

When interviewed, the three minors admitted that their parents and some of their relatives are NPA members and supporters. Their task is to deliver food and other essentials to the communist group.

“As parents, let's not allow our minor children to be used as instruments to deceive the government. It is not a good role model for children that we include (them) in the activities of rebel groups,” Batula said in a phone interview Tuesday.

She said the practice of using children as food couriers or any task that is linked with insurgency operations should not be tolerated, but should rather be discouraged.

“This should be stopped, and if people know that there are parents who are engaging in these practices, they should be reported because we have a law that protects children,” Batula added.

The local government also appealed to residents of Palapag who are still active members of the communist group to surrender and grab the opportunity to avail themselves of support and programs implemented by the government intended for former rebels.

The rescued minors will also receive educational support. Alias “Mike” will be enrolled in Grade 7, while alias “Julian” and "Justin,” who were in Grades 1 and 2, respectively, will be enrolled in the Alternative Learning System program.

The family of the three minors will also receive assistance from the social welfare agency, such as Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, and other financial assistance.

Personnel from the local social welfare and development office also clarified that the minors were brought to Balay Darangpan, located in Catarman town due to the absence of facilities in Palapag to cater to the needs of the rescued children.

That is not recruitment at all. That is parents who are NPA supporters using their children as couriers. And yet these minors will be returned to their parents? The same parents who are allegedly recruiting them. The families will also be reaching financial assistance. No word on if they have surrendered and renounced their allegiance to the NPA.

The Philippine Army is hot on the trail of weapons caches in northern Negros. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1230095

The Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) continues to conduct operations to locate more weapons hidden by the New People’s Army (NPA) after the discovery of firearms in two areas in northern Negros in the past two weeks.

“The intention is to recover the loose firearms of the dismantled Northern Negros Front (NNF) to prevent further use of these weapons to harass the community or create violence,” First Lt. Dan Carlo Samoza, 79IB civil-military operations officer, said in an interview on Tuesday.

On Monday, troops found high-powered firearms buried in a secluded area in Barangay Pinowayan, Don Salvador Benedicto, bordering Calatrava and San Carlos City in Negros Occidental.

Recovered were two M14 rifles, one M1 Garand rifle, one 12-gauge shotgun, three Garand clips with 24 ammunition, 100 rounds of live ammunition for M14, and five shotgun ammunition.

Samoza said they received information from a concerned individual regarding the buried weapons that corroborated the revelation of a recently surrendered NNF combatant who was involved in the encounter with 79IB troops in Barangay Pinapugasan, Escalante City last February.

In a statement, Lt. Col. Arnel Calaoagan, commander of 79IB, said the latest recovery of various firearms and ammunition is a testament to their unit’s commitment to end the atrocities, intimidation, and abuses carried out by the remnants of the dismantled NNF.

On July 16, troops of 79IB also found weapons and personal items in a rebel hideout in the hinterlands of Cadiz City.

Recovered were a magazine and 30 rounds of live ammunition for an M16 rifle, two hammocks, two keypad mobile phones, two military backpacks, three subscriber identity module cards, three flash drives, a flashlight, utility ropes, medical items, personal belongings, and subversive documents.

It is interesting how the Northern Negros Front has been declared dismantled and yet the Army is worried about the group causing havoc. Sounds like they are not dismantled at all. 

In Southern Negros a 64-year-old NPA combatant was killed in a clash with the Army. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1230151

A 64-year-old combatant of the New People’s Army (NPA) was killed during an encounter with troops of the Philippine Army’s 15th Infantry Battalion (IB) in Barangay Basak, Cauayan, Negros Occidental on Monday.

The 3rd Infantry Division (ID) said in a report on Wednesday that Ramon Moico Enseniales, with aliases Art and Bugtong, was considered a remnant of the dismantled South West Front (SWF). He was killed during a two-minute encounter between the soldiers and about five NPA rebels Monday noon, according to Maj. Gen. Marion Sison, commander of the 3ID.

He said the collaboration between the 15IB troops and the community led to the neutralization of Enseniales.

“To those who remain in hiding, I urge you to choose the path of peace to avoid the fate of your comrades in previous encounters,” he added.

The body of the slain combatant was found after other rebels fled the encounter site.

Enseniales’ identity was confirmed by his wife, Epeania, the report said, adding that their family resides in Purok 1, Barangay Tambad, also in Cauayan.

During the clearing operation, the troops also recovered an improvised 12-gauge shotgun, two hand grenades, three keypad mobile phones, personal belongings, and subversive documents with high intelligence value.

This old man had a shirt with PKP@50 emblazoned on it which means he is likely a member of the old guard and had been in the NPA for quite some time. At the least it means he was devoted to the cause of the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas It seems as if he was not living in the mountains as his wife identified his body and said they have a residence in Cauayan. 

It's too bad this old man did not surrener or he could have availed of E-CLIP and all the benefits that entails. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1230303

At least 74 former communist rebels in Bukidnon province received PHP4.8 million worth of financial and livelihood assistance on Thursday, the Department of the Interior and Local Government in Northern Mindanao (DILG-10) said.

In a statement, the DILG-10 said the distribution is part of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), coordinated with the provincial government and the Philippine Army's 403rd Infantry Brigade.

"The financial package includes food packs and surrendered firearms remuneration, which Governor Rogelio Neil Roque facilitated," the agency said.

Earlier, DILG-10 Assistant Director Yvette Tolentino Sunga said the series of E-CLIP recipients in the region encouraged more rebels to leave the life of insurgency to start a new and better life for themselves and their families.

“We want our former rebels to ensure that the benefits they are receiving from the government will mainstream back to the society. Hopefully, they will live normal lives and be productive citizens in their communities,” Sunga said.

In Davao, a region which has been declared insurgency free for two years, P12 million worth of ECLIP benefits have recently been distributed. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1230084

The Department of the Interior and Local Government in the Davao Region (DILG-11) distributed PHP12 million worth of support to hundreds of former communist rebels last year under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP).

In a press briefing Tuesday, Abdullah Matalam, DILG-11 regional director, said that of the total amount, PHP2.19 million were released to the former rebels (FRs) for immediate assistance, livelihood assistance (PHP6.2 million) and reintegration assistance (PHP3.67 million).

Of the allotment, Davao del Norte FRs got PHP5.7 million; Davao City, PHP4.3 million; Davao Oriental, PHP1.2 million; Davao de Oro, PHP674,000; and Davao del Sur, PHP122,000.

“Through ECLIP, the DILG-Davao del Norte Provincial Office also handed over financial and livelihood assistance to 65 FRs in the province,” Matalam said during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum here.

Currently, DILG-11 is waiting for the funding allocation of ECLIP for the first quarter of this year, which amounts to PHP2.2 million, and PHP8.2 million for the second quarter.

Matalam also reported that 1,162 villages received basic orientation course for newly elected officials to ensure they are prepared to serve effectively.

Why is this much money being given out after two years? Is it a long process? Are rebels still surrendering? 

The NTF-ELCAC will be distributing 1 billion pesos to insurgency cleared areas.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1230114

Over PHP1.07 billion have been made available for 238 projects under the Local Government Support to Barangay Development Program (SBDP) for barangays cleared from insurgency in Western Visayas from 2022 until 2024.

SBDP is a flagship program of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

“These projects are focused on poverty alleviation and development and geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs). These are formerly communist conflict-affected areas and have been cleared,” said engineer Juan Jovian Ingeniero, regional director of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Western Visayas, during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas on Tuesday.

He said among the projects are farm-to-market roads, the installation of rural electrification, sanitary water systems, health stations, and school buildings, among others.

He added the number of recipients is getting smaller since the number of conflict areas is fast declining.

“From the start, we targeted 170 conflict areas, but the number is declining. The number of sightings of rebels is also declining,” he said, adding that, together with the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, they hope to make Western Visayas cleared area by 2028.

Other than the cleared conflict-affected areas, the SBDP also funded projects in GIDAs to let the residents feel the services of the government, he said.

They say the areas being given money are declining. Does this mean that when the insurgency is finally defeated the money will decline to zero? All the things this money is going towards are normal government projects. Truly national development has become a counterinsurgency program.