Sagada folks drive police camps away after NPA lairs

By Aldwin Quitasol

SAGADA, Mountain Province – Officials and residents here are standing pat in their resolve to maintain this tourist town a “peace zone” by not allowing the presence of any armed group whether from the government or rebel communist forces.  

After scouring mountain in the northern part of this town recently and dismantling a New People’s Army camp, villagers urged the Public Safety Company of the Philippine National Police Cordillera not to set up their camps in their territories saying they have an existing regulation of barring armed combatants from establishing detachments here.

This time, according to Sagada Vice Mayor Benjamin Capuyan, children noticed armed groups setting up camp at a patpatayan(spiritual ground) in Sitio Bitin, Barangay Ambasing at the southern part of Sagada on June 27.

He said they reported what they saw to their parents who called the attention of their barangay officials.

Some village men were sent to check and found out the armed men to be policemen.

Capuyan said Ambasing residents convened and agreed to approach the elite police troopers to ask them to leave as such presence will again bring trouble to their village.

He said the cops adhered to the plea of the people and vacated the area.

The vice mayor however said the cops just transferred to Sakkang Hill of Barangay Demang.

He disclosed residents there upon knowing of the presence of the police immediately held a community meeting.

The villagers, Capuyan said, drafted a barangay resolution and showed it to the leader of the policemen.

Capuyan said that the policemen complied with the resolution but only returned to Ambasing.

The villagers again there he said asked the cops to leave.

Capuyan said Sagada folks are resolved in prohibiting armed forces like the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National police (PNP) and the NPA from setting camps in their municipality.

He insisted it is part of their “peace zone” policy to save the image of Sagada and maintain its status as a tourist destination.

He said after the skirmishes that happened last year between the NPA guerillas and members of the Regional Public Safety Battalion of the PNP, the tourism industry especially in northern villages of Sagada was much affected.

He narrated after the Philippine Air Force (PAF) dropped bombs on forests of Barangays Fidelisan and Aguid, farming activities were disrupted as well as the livelihood of the tourist guides ceased as no one dared to go out because of fear.

He said there is a gradual drop of visiting tourists as they too were afraid.

He said they noticed the scarcity of tourists especially during the Holy Week.

On May 17 of this year, more than 60 individuals from Aguid, Madongo, Fidelisan, Bangaan, Pide and Tanulong together with their barangay officials and a representative from the Sagada local government scoured surrounding mountains and forests of their territories to prove there were no NPA camps in the area.

Sagada Mayor Eduardo Latawan Jr. in an earlier interview said after they will remove such camps and confirm there is no more NPA presence within their areas, there will be no more bases of the military to do combat operations there that will again disrupt the lives and livelihood of the people.

Capuyan said that according to the reports they gathered, the policemen went to Tap-ew area at the boundery of Sagada and neighboring town of Bauko.

He said that even though, they are still inside Sagada.

Capuyan said they are asking for an audience with PNP Mountain province police director Oliver Enmodias to explain presence of his troops in their municipality.

Meanwhile, Police Regional Office Cordillera public information officer Supt. Davy Limmong said they support whatever programs of the Sagada local government provided it is geared towards ensuring peace and order.

He said that as much as possible, they are avoiding to field combatants in Sagada so that the tourism and other economic activities will be normal as it was.

He added that the move of the Sagada folks to prove that there are no NPAs in their area will give no reason for the army to launch military operations in their place.

Limmong said they like their personnel not to be involved in combat operations as the police should focus on battling common criminality in their areas of operations.