Respect peace zone, officials and villagers tell armed groups

HAPPY WEEKEND

Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- The presence of government armed groups within the territory of Sagada the past weeks and months made local officials tell armed groups to leave the town and respect the peace zone imposed by the people in 1989.

This sentiment heightened in a peace and human rights forum conducted here with peace advocate, farmer and businessman Lope Bosaing saying the peace zone in the tourist and agricultural town of Sagada is a very significant need. 

In the  Dec. 18  forum organized by the Montanosa Research and Development Center (MRDC), Tangguyob Peoples Center  and the Sangguniang  Bayan of  Sagada in furtherance of International Human Rights Month of December,  Bosaing presented the peace zone declaration of the people of  Sagada  in 1989, adding  the  peace zone is  relevant now.

As a businessman who operates an inn, Bosaing said a peaceful climate is favourable for tourists visiting the town which means there is better business with the realization of a peace zone.

There are some 30,000 tourists who visit Sagada in a year. People especially in the central barangays of PatayPoblacion, Dagdag, Ambasing, and Demang rely on tourism as a source of livelihood among operators of inns and restos, and souvenir shops; vendors and tourist guides.

Tourists trek the mountainous terrains of Sagada in Langsayan, Pilaw, Ampakaw, and Baklingayan near the boundaries of Abra and northern Sagada.  Stories tell of some tourist guides having been harassed when they were found by members of the government armed forces trekking the mountains.

“Also as a farmer I have not been visiting my coffee plants at Langsayan due to the presence of armed groups within the mountain range,” Bosaing added.

Coffee plants have become a favourite in agro-forestry sites within the mountainous terrain of Sagada where the beverage plant is tilled in between pine trees that abound in this tourist-agri town by residents who also till their lands.

The 1989 peace zone called for the total pullout of all armed groups   within the territory of Sagada; and absence of detachments, armed encounters, carrying of arms, and harassment on civilian population aside from Sagada being an area for peaceful negotiations.  

The 1989 peace zone was hatched following the death of three children, one caught in the crossfire between the New Peoples Army rebels and the Armed Forces of the Philippines and two shot by drunken government soldiers within the market “It is significant to note that the peace zone declaration be revisited in effecting a peaceful community”, Indigenous Peoples Representative   to the Sangguniang Bayan Jaime Dugao said.  With Dugao, Bosaing sees the realization of the peace zone be asserted by the people.

Community women leader Soledad Belingon said peace is a process attained and realized by the people such that the participation of people and officials is crucial in realizing peace.

The peace zone of 1989 was reiterated in a resolution of northern barangay officials following the August 30, 2013 bombing of AFP within the watershed environs of northern barangay of Aguid in their reported attempts to capture NPA rebels.

The dark history of the people of the town wants to ensure the safety of hundreds of   high school students who participated in the recent Provincial Jamboree December 12-15 this year, thus the Sangguniang Bayan in a resolution asked the AFP that the military pull out from Lake Danum.

While Sagada is a peace zone, violations have been note including the 1991 bombing of AFP on Mount Sisipitan in the northern barangay of Aguid, the 2006 ambush of NPA rebels on AFP soldiers in Pegew, Antadao, and the AFP presence in Lake Danum, Mount Ampakaw and sitioLasig in the recent months of 2013.  

Tangguyob Peoples Center coordinator Gwen Longid-Gaongen asked who shall be culpable in cases of violations of the peace zone. She forwarded that the Philippine government entered into a Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CAHRIHL) and added that the Joint Monitoring Committee is tasked to monitor the implementation of the agreement.

In the local scene, the Peace Action Group created by the Sangguniang Bayan is tasked to monitor the implementation of the October 2013 AFP-LGU agreement in counter insurgency.

The provisions of the  AFP and the LGU agreement  October 21 this year was presented by Sangguniang Bayan councilor Eduardo  UmamingJr  saying that LGU officials ‘are not combatants’ and that the role of the  LGU is in  “convening, coordinating and facilitating the  consolidation and development  stages”  in  the eradication of  poverty such as projects and programs  implemented by the LGU.

The MOA forged between the LGU officials through Sagada Mayor Eduardo LatawanJr and the  AFP through Lt Col Richard Sibayan of the 50^th Infantry Batallion  contained a clear- hold-consolidate- develop stages of eradicating insurgency and addressing root causes of insurgency. The AFP among its responsibilities in said agreement is, “to facilitate and ensure external support to identified development projects and programs” of the LGU.       In said forum, Ambasing barangay chairman RovaldineDagacan asked the relevance of the peace zone as to the delivery of basic services including health, agriculture, education and other basic services aside from infrastructure such as farm to market roads.

Sagada is one of seven declared special development areas when the National Unification Commission  in 1993 forwarded to Malacanang  the proposal and the Department of Interior  Local Government  was appointed as lead  agency with the giving of  P5 million development  funds each for the  seven development  zones.

The 5 million peso fund was implemented by the Sagada LGU then for waterworks supposed to service Patay, Dagdag, Demang and Ambasing which eventually went to a water cooperative composed of a few members.

Sagada is currently a recipient of  a P15 million PAMANA  funds from the office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP)  apart from other  government  projects as core shelters  from DSWD, road projects  from Department of Public Works and Highways  and Department of Agriculture  and other  infra projects from regular budget of the LGU.

A document to contain the opinions and results of the forum shall be formalized by the secretariat of the activity with the SB and members of local media and to be provided to the participants and barangay constituents.