Marañon backs government's peace agreement with rebels

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines  - Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. said he supports the Aquino administration's efforts in pursuing the government's peace agreement with communist groups, to end the insurgency problems besetting the country for so many years now.

"Let us put a closure to the peace agreement (between the government and the rebels) which has been hanging for so many years already," he said.

The governor said the never-ending peace talks have been draining the coffers of the government and cost many lives already. "Let us close this peace agreement. The sooner we do it, the better for our province and for our country," he said.

Marañon said it is about time the government gives what the rebels are asking for, like livelihood assistance and farm-to-market roads because life is difficult in the mountains.

The Aquino administration said it is pursuing an agreement that the government forged with the communist breakaway groups Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas-Revolutionary Proletarian Army- Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB).

The RPA-ABB and its political wing, RPMP, has about 1,000 members in Negros and Panay islands, portions of Mindanao and Central Luzon.

On December 6, 2000, a peace agreement was signed in Don Salvador Benedicto town, Negros Occidental as witnessed by then President Joseph Estrada and business tycoon Eduardo Cojuangco Jr.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said this bound the government - now under the Aquino administration - to "commit fund releases for reintegration and development to establish, operate, and support livelihood projects, housing assistance."

This also includes "education and training, primary health care, agriculture and irrigation facilities, farm-to-market roads, microfinance, among others," Valte said. "The funds will be released to the local government units (LGUs) in areas that will be identified for community development and livelihood assistance," she said.

Undersecretary Luisito Montalbo of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) said a series of profiling held last month in Negros and Panay Islands for the former combatants belonging to the Tabara-Paduano Group (TPG) of the RPMP-RPA-ABB is almost finished.

"A total of 495 TPG members were profiled on Oct. 20 to 30. Negros Occidental accounted for 358 members, while Negros Oriental and Panay Island (Iloilo, Antique and Aklan) have 50 and 87 members profiled," Montalbo said.

The profiling, which is a prelude to the actual signing of a closure to the peace agreement between the RPA-ABB and the government, includes gathering of personal data, inventory of firearms, and determination of livelihood packages that the RPA-ABB members may avail of.  (FREEMAN)