Liga prexy calls for Army to junk CAFGU plan
The planned revival of arming civilian volunteers to help government forces in battling the insurgency problem is not, and will not be the solution for the province of Iloilo. On the contrary, it is a disaster waiting to happen that will open the floodgates for more casualties and an even bigger war within the community.
If there is to be a solution, the barangays must be asked to be more involved in the efforts of the Philippine Army with yet another round of evaluation and talks for the local government to re-design its counter-insurgency drive.
Such was the sentiments of Board Member Angelo Briones, chairman of the Iloilo Sanggunian Panlalawigan's (SP) Committee on Public Safety and Order amidst talks of the revival of para-military forces in the barangays.
For Briones, being the president of provincial Liga ng mga Barangay, the proposed plan spells danger. As such, he is bent on opposing the move even as he appeals to the Philippine Army to junk the plan and instead, sit down with them in order to get the involvement of 1,721 barangay chiefs and thousands more of the province's barangay officials.
"Clearly we still have a problem on insurgency. But let us not create another one by arming our locals, by reviving the para-military forces. They will become the bigger problem and the battle will even be worse with no victory in sight for the community," Briones said in a The New Today (TNT) interview. "I am most concerned of this plan which is to activate once again our para-military forces or CAFGUs and I am most alarmed of its effects if pushed."
A graduate of counter-insurgency special course, Briones added that to date, records bare that the government's list of top human rights violators remain to be the CAFGUs.
"If we are having enormous problems with our uniformed personnel and the abuses committed while in government service, how much more if we once again involve our locals and civilians at that, in the armed conflict?," he continued. "We can win the battle but not this way. The communist-terrorists have no place in our society and the terrorism, harassments and criminal acts they perpetuate must be stopped but definitely not with the revival of CAFGUs."
Briones stressed that in his rounds throughout Iloilo particularly in the barangays, discontent is present due to the community's hunger for basic delivery of services and jobs.
"The very wisdom of winning the insurgency is winning the hearts and minds of our people and the community," he continued. "Whoever does that wins the war. And if we are confronted with poverty, the propagandists of these communist-terrorists bank on that. Let us move against the impression that all these promised delivery of basic services have become lip service. Time now to let the community help combat atrocities of communist-terrorists by strengthening community support and linkages."
The provincial Liga through Briones' representation is expected to make official its stand as efforts are underway to seek an audience with the Army's top brass.