The military has confirmed per its intensified intelligence and counter-insurgency works that Bohol’s 50 barangays in 21 towns are in the “line of fire” of the insurgents’ comeback plan to regain old glory they had enjoyed in the past years. Government forces have monitored the leftist insurgents to have used semi-legal teams (SLTs) as fronts in recovering former mass bases. While there are sightings yet to be verified and validated, enemy activities have been reduced which the military attributed to the government’s response to STL activities. Col. John Bonafos of the Philippine Army 802 nd Infantry Brigade pressed to address the issues and concerns in the marked barangays to avoid their exploitation by the rebel fronts.

This even as the military assessed the province to have “remained insurgent-free” based on the “present peace and stability condition.” In the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting during the province’s eighth HEAT Caravan in Talibon on Tuesday, Bonafos identified the 50 target barangays in identical seven towns per district. In the first district, they are barangays Cansibuan, Canlaas and Quinapon-an in Antequera; Datag Norte and Sur, Boyog Norte and San Roque in Balilihan; Cabayugan, Cabudburan, Sampoangon and Sohoton in Calape; Maitum, Ambuan and Liboron in Catigbian; Canangcaan in Corella; Genomoan, Campatod, Bagacay Saang, Bagacay Katipunan and Bagacay Kawayan in Loon; and Badiang, Bahay-bahay, and Cambuac Sur and Norte in Sikatuna The recovery targets in the second district are barangays San Carlos, Tabuk, Cabatuan and Carbon in Danao; San Roque and Kabasakan in Sagbayan; Zamora in Talibon; Sto. Niño in San Miguel; San Vicente in Trinidad; and Pangpang in Ubay.

In the third district are barangays Katipunan in Alicia; Rizal, Janlud and San Jose in Batuan; Dagohoy and Cambigsi in Bilar; Buenavista and Villaflor in Carmen; Lungsodaan, Canawa and Cogtong in Candijay; San Jose in Mabini; and Cansungay and Bagakay in Pilar. The PPOC meeting in Talibon was followed three days later by the presentation of the peace and order situation in Central Visayas during the meeting of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) at Bohol Tropics here on Friday. (See separate story.) It was the second RPOC meeting and the first ever held in Bohol under its new chairman, Gov. Edgar Chatto. Vice Gov. Concepcion Lim and Provincial Administrator Alfonso Damalerio II led the PPOC meeting in Talibon since the governor, after opening the HEAT Caravan there, had to fly to Manila and receive his Dangal ng Bayan Award at Malacañang.

Talibon Mayor Restituto Auxtero and other town officials joining the PPOC meeting sought verification on the inclusion of one of their barangays in the military report of targeted areas for rebel comeback bid. The monitored activities of the semi-legal teams and listing of the marked barangays amplified the call for regular meetings and updating of reports of the Municipal Peace and Order Councils (MPOCs), especially those in towns targeted for rebel reentry. The same was sounded to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Peace and Order Committee (SP-POC) which chairman, Board Member Brigido Imboy, was again absent in the PPOC meeting. Bonafos said the local peace councils should validate their reports because for their part, the military and Philippine National Police (PNP) cited in their reports the sightings of mostly SLTs and not armed groups. The army commander was apparently trying to avoid wrong signals that might jeopardize tactical efforts. PNP Provincial Director Constantino Paul Barot, Jr supported Bonafos’ observation, citing the reported sighting of men in Alburquerque believed to be armed because their side waists were “bulging.”

Based on reports submitted by the MPOCs, the SP-POC reported the sightings of armed groups in certain areas in Aburquerque, Loay, Loboc, Sevilla and Garcia-Hernandez. But the military update presented in the PPOC meeting in Talibon did not include these areas in the 21 towns targeted for rebel return. As of the PPOC meeting, Bonafos reported no monitored enemy activities in November, except for the alleged sighting of armed men in La Victoria, Valencia which needs confirmation. The military summarized the monitored enemy activities at only four in July, four in August, 11 in September, one in October and none so far this month. Bonafos said the number of barangays targeted for rebel-SLT recovery is “historically” the same with the figures of affected barangays ranging from 45 to 49 seven to nine years ago. The military reiterated that there must be issues exploited by the “communist terrorists” thru the semi-legal teams as propaganda fronts in the target barangays which need the attention and response from concerned government agencies. The peace and order condition in the province remains “manageable and, in general, Bohol island remains a safe place to live, work and do business, according to the military.

SUSTAINED EFFORTS

The military reported some completed and on-going community development projects of the engineering soldiers and the converged initiative of the province and 2 nd Special Forces Battalion on trainings on community organizing for community development. These are complemented with the various activities under the Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Council (JPSCC). Another batch will undergo a planning workshop on the enhancement of the capacities of the chief executives for peace and development in a joint effort with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). The Bohol PNP chief cited the continuous coordination and cooperation between the peacekeepers, law enforcers, LGUs, NGOs and community. Barot said this has proved to be useful to the maintenance of peace and order which is essential to the economy of the place and welfare of the people.

CRIMES DOWN BY 40 PERCENT

Also in the PPOC meeting, Barot reported a sharper fall by around 40% of the crime volume from 3,456 crimes in January-October 2010 to 2,313 crimes for the same 10-month period this year. The index crime volume was down more dramatically by even almost 50% from 2,546 last year to 1,857 this year Crimes involving theft topped with 901 or an equivalent of 48%, followed by robbery, 24%; physical injury, 12%; carnapping, 6%; murder, 4%; homicide, 3%; rape, 2%; and cattle rustling, 1%. It disturbs to note, though, that with 35 cases, there were more women raped than big animals stolen (18 cases) from January to October this year. Within the same period, the Bohol police recorded 63 persons arrested and 11 firearms seized under Oplan Kontra Boga or the drive against loose firearms. The campaign against illegal drugs which was rocked by the recent conflict between the PNP and Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA) netted 68 offenders while 127 were arrested for illegal gambling and 252 for illegal fishing. The controversy was sparked by the fall of a PDEA agent in the hands of the police for illegal drugs until it was further fueled by the PDEA arrest of an alleged police anti-drug asset and the “sacking” of a PDEA regional head himself. The PNP Oplan Tracker caused the capture of 223 wanted persons, Barot further reported. (Ven rebo Arigo)