ILOILO City – Twenty-two municipalities and a city in Panay Island have declared the New People’s Army (NPA) persona non grata, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
In Iloilo, these were the municipalities of Maasin, Janiuay, Igbaras, Bingawan, and Miag-ao, and Iloilo City.
In Antique, the local govern units that made such declaration were San Jose, Anini-y, Barbaza, Belison, Caluya, Culasi, Hamtic, Libertad, Pandan, Patnongon, San Remigio, Sebaste, Sibalom, Tibiao, Tobias Fornier, Bugasong, Lauan-an, and Valderrama.
Barangay councils, too, were declaring the rebels persona non grata, said Army Captain Cenon Pancito, spokesperson of the 3rd Infantry Division.
The most recent of these barangay councils was that of Barangay Igtuble in Tubungan, Iloilo. It issued the declaration yesterday.
The other barangay councils were Cuartero, Capiz (Putian, Mahunod-hunod, San Antonio, Carataya) and Calinog, Iloilo (Binulosan).
“We expect more towns and villages do to the same,” said Pancito.
On Nov. 14 the local government of Bingawan, Iloilo rallied its constituents into signing a peace covenant supporting the anti-insurgency campaign of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine Nationa Police (PNP) and declared rebels as persona-non-grata.
The signing of covenant was participated in by students and youths, barangay officials and other sectors.
The peace covenant also denounced NPA atrocities.
“We are publicly denouncing the rebels and warning them to stop recruiting students. They are not welcome in our town. What we want is peace, and we want an end to the armed conflict,” said Mayor
Mark Palabrica.
Palabrica confirmed that the NPA tried to recruit students of Bingawan National High School in recent months.
“We persuaded the students not to attend or join the activities of militant groups because those were preludes to NPA recruitment. We told them joining the NPA would destroy their dreams. After our talk with the students, we received information that the rebels did not pursue their recruitment activities,” said Palabrica./PN
