Army, NPA accusing me of taking sides due to peace zone, says gov

By Dexter A. See 

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Gov. Leonard G. Mayaen said the declaration of the whole province as a peace zone by the provincial peace and order council will subsequently spur economic development that will translate to improved living condition of local residents, especially those in far flung communities.

            Under the concept of a peace zone for Mountain Province, Mayaen said all communist rebels and the military will be required to leave the province in order to allow the people to move freely in their respective places to earn for a living of their families.

            “The problem is I am now being accused by both camps, the communist rebels and the military, as taking sides with their enemies,” Mayaen said,

            “We want our people to have a peaceful atmosphere to live and earn their livelihood without fear of being harassed or intimidated by the presence of communist rebels and the military in their villages.”

            Since the PPOC had been going around the 10 towns of the province conducting consultations on the planned declaration of a peace zone in the province, the governor disclosed harassment and recruitment activities of the communist rebels in far flung villages and military operations against the rebels had been significantly reduced considering that both parties do not want to be driven away from the province once the declaration of a peace zone will be finally approved.

            Mayaen added more communist rebels are now going back to mainstream society and giving up their armed struggle because of the difficulty of life running and hiding in the mountains.

            “We are now providing livelihood assistance to at least 40 rebel returnees under the rebel returnee program of the provincial government,” Mayaen said, citing that each of the rebel returnees is receiving P5,000 monthly allowance from the provincial government while helping in community activities in the barangays where they come from.

            Among the community works which the rebels returnees are engaged include tree planting and maintenance works, cleanup campaigns, construction of public works projects and beautification efforts.

            Mayaen said some of the rebel returnees also availed of livelihood assistance funds from the local government and concerned government agencies which they used to start up their own small and medium businesses to serve as the main source of income to sustain the living condition of their families.

             “Our people want lasting peace in the province. We are already tired of the inconveniences brought about by the hostilities between the rebels and military,” Mayaen said, citing “people want to go to their fields or go hunting without fear of being harassed or intimidated by either the rebels or the military.”

            The local chief executive revealed local residents have realized that taking sides on the rebels and the military have not done good on their part because they are often harassed and intimidated by either party upon learning that people in a village are backing the rebels or the military, thus, it is better for both the rebels and the military to leave the province and give lasting peace a chance to reign and allow the people to live the life that they want without being influenced by either party.