LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Cordillera People’s Liberation Army turned
over to the government at least 60 firearms last week part of their
integration into mainstream society.
At the regional police
headquarters in La Trinidad, the CPLA turned over around 30 firearms to the
regional police office here last week.
Office of the Presidential
Adviser on the Peace Process - Peace Accord Monitoring Secretariat Director
Alexander Umpar said the event was the first leg of initial firearms inventory
and valuation being conducted in the region.
The firearms and CPLA members
will also be undergoing profiling to know who have firearms and what kind they
have.
In Bangued, Abra, the CPLA also
turned over 17 firearms to a representative of the OPAPP last week.
The firearms consisted of nine
.45-caliber pistols, two machine guns, two shotguns, two .22-caliber pistols,
and two backshot revolvers. They were received by Carmen Gomez of the OPAPP.
The CPLA has a group in Abra
which claims to be the legitimate CPLA
The government is set to release
funds for livelihood and infrastructure projects in the places where the CPLA
members who yielded their guns come from.
Regional police director Chief
Supt. Benjamin Magalong said that they
have set the standards in the valuation policy which is being targeted to be
done in April, 2013.
He committed to hasten valuation
process as he urged the CBA-CPLA members turn-over their firearms before the
targeted date.
CPLA chairman Arsenio said the
turn-over and inventory is in fulfillment of the Closure Agreement signed
between the government of the Philippines and the CBA-CPLA.
He added this will also show that
they are now transforming and integrating themselves as a people’s organization
and leaving their old rebel days.
Other provinces of the Cordillera
will also turn over their firearms to the PNP in the next months.
More than 300 firearms are
expected to be turned over and valuated to the Cordillera Police.
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