New anti-rebel tack to focus on developmental projects

MANILA, Philippines - The new campaign plan that will replace Oplan Bantay Laya will devote more resources to developmental projects rather than on combat operations as the military slowly veers away from internal security to external defense.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr. said the declining strength of the insurgents has prompted the military to shift its focus toward civil-military operations, including the building of infrastructure and the delivery of social services.

“The budget, resources, and personnel will be dependent on where we will be focusing. If we will be focusing on civil-military operation, that means the chunk of resources, money, personnel and equipment should be focused on that effort,” Mabanta said in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.

“We feel that insurgency is an internal security operation. It should be left to the PNP (Philippine National Police) while we veer away slowly toward external threat,” he added.

Launched in 2002, Oplan Bantay Laya was designed to end the decades-old communist rebellion in the country.

Militant groups alleged that the campaign has resulted in human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings.

Bantay Laya lapsed last June 30 without achieving its goal of wiping out insurgency. A new security plan will be implemented starting Jan. 1, 2011. 

Mabanta cannot say how much resources would be allotted to the developmental initiatives, saying this will be determined after consultations with stakeholders.

“I don’t have figures but what I can say is there will be more efforts (to conduct) civil-military operations as against combat operations,” he said.

Mabanta said the new campaign plan is more democratic as it would involve stakeholders such as local governments and civil society groups.

“This is first time we are asking various personalities from all stakeholders for their inputs. In the past it has only been confined within the military… We may call it a democratization of the process,” he said.

The AFP and non-government organizations are now crafting a new peace and security strategy through a series of workshops which started this month in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. More consultations and dialogues will be held in the succeeding weeks.

Mabanta said even leftist groups are invited to take part in the consultations.

“There is nothing really to hide. We will open this up… We are talking of the general strategy of the Armed For-ces. This is where stakeholders come in,” he said.

“We feel we need to give a better image of how the Armed Forces conduct internal security operations,” he added.

Counter-insurgency operations, according to the AFP, have reduced the strength of the communist movement to 4,642 as of end-July from 9,260 in 2002.

Military officials attributed the decline to internal conflicts among the insurgents as well as the government’s anti-poverty initiatives.