MORE NEWS,MOUNTAIN PROVINCE

Mt Prov peace council backs amnesty for NPAs

BONTOC, Mountain Province — The provincial peace and order council has expressed its support for a proposal of the government to grant amnesty to New People’s Army rebels.

The amnesty program for communist rebels was discussed during a meeting of the National Security Council and the Cabinet group with President Arroyo held recently in Malacanang

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza said the revival of the amnesty proclamation was seen as the key to the solution of the decades-old communist insurgency in the country.

Presenting the proposed government proclamation of amnesty for communist rebels during a recent PPOC meeting, Gov. and PPOC chairman Maximo Dalog said the amnesty program would open the door for negotiations and a chance for the rebels to return to the fold of the law and join the mainstream of society.

But the governor said the government has no specific implementing rules on the participation of the local government units and the peace and order councils in the reconciliation process.

Reacting to the proposed amnesty program, Sadanga Vice Mayor Francis Dangiwan said the past amnesty program of the government lacked provisions for sustained livelihood programs and employment for rebel returnees.

Bontoc Mayor Franklin Odsey said while he supports the amnesty program, it should plug the loopholes of the amnesty programs of the past administrations.

In the same NSC and cabinet meeting, President Arroyo announced the establishment of a R500-
million rebel returnee fund which would be used for the processing of amnesty applications and as seed capital for livelihood projects of rebels who want to return to the fold of the law.

Dangiwan suggested that as part of the new amnesty program, rebel returnees who are interested and qualified should be absorbed by the military, saying that there are returnees who desire to be assimilated into the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Dangiwan, in one of the PPOC meetings, suggested to Task Force Montanosa of the Philippine Army based in this province the possibility of integrating the returnees into the AFP as he feared that their former comrades may hunt them.

So far, four rebel returnees returned to the mainstream of society early this year.

The PPOC chairman directed the council secretariat to send copies of the resolution expressing the sentiments of the peace council on the amnesty program to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. – Dexter A. See



Bontoks grieve sudden death of longest-serving doctor in town hospital

BONTOC, Mountain Province--- Provincial constituents paid their last respects to Dr. Bonifacio Magalong here last week during the funeral of the longest-serving doctor in the Bontoc Provincial Hospital.

Local folk said his death was felt as he served the people with compassion.
Records showed Magalong arrived in this town in 1975 and served as physician at the BGH.

Tracing his roots in Pangasinan and Abra, fate brought him to marry Bontoc native Carmen Waking and their union was blessed with five kids.

Following his retirement at the BGH as Medical Specialist IV in 2003, he volunteered to serve free particularly senior citizens in the province, giving free medicines to his patients.

In 2004, he was elected as provincial board member, the only BM elected to this office who was not a native of the province.

People here said his being a good doctor won him the election. He later chaired the health committee and was instrumental in the construction of the Sadanga Emergency Hospital with support from his fellow members in the board.

Dr. Benjamin Dominguez, former vice-governor said construction of the SEH done since Sadanga was one of the remote towns in this province.

The project was done with the persistent lobbying of Dr. Magalong and with the support of Gov. Maximo Dalog in 2005.

His wife Carmen said in the early 90s, Magalong was once offered a job outside this province with a more lucrative pay but he decided to give his services here as the people needed him more.

During his stint as provincial board member, he conducted medical missions in remote barangays of Sadanga, Bontoc, and the eastern part of these towns rarely visited by physicians. -- Berlin Toyokan-McIntosh