DILG urged to take frontline in anti-insurgency campaign

CEBU, Philippines - Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy Partylist Rep. Pastor “Jun” Alcover, Jr. said it is high time that the Department of the Interior and Local Government take the lead role in the fight against insurgency.

Alcover said that the DILG can effectively use the local government units, down to the barangay level, as so-called political fronts in the rural areas as a counter-measure against communist sectoral front organizations, while it can efficiently mobilize the Philippine National Police.

“The essential point here is to empower and mobilize the LGUs, particularly the barangays, to protect their respective areas from continued intimidation and harassments,” Alcover said.

Local officials should strengthen their foundation at the barangay level to become effective in the campaign against insurgency problem and other forms of criminality, he pointed out.

Speaking before barangay officials and residents of Medellin and Tabogon towns, Alcover said that the people in the barangay should be given important roles in the fight against insurgency.

According to Alcover, the success in the fight against communist-terrorist insurgency is not only through armed uprisings because such only exacerbate the problem.

He said that proper implementation of projects and the delivery of basic services to the people, beginning at the barangay level, would certainly put, in the process, an end to insurgency.

“Importante gyod kaayo nga mapakita sa gobyerno ngadto sa katawhan nga tinud-anay sila nga nagtan-aw sa mga problema diha sa barangay,” he said.

Education of the masses is the best weapon to counter the influence, intimidation, and spate of murders committed by armed, lawless groups throughout the country, Alcover further said. — Jose P. Sollano/MEEV   (FREEMAN NEWS)