Deles’ P31-M going to non-existent ABB

SOLON WARNS PALACE FUNDING REBEL GROUPS TO CAUSE POLICE DEMORALIZATION

Malacañang and its Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPPAP) chief , Teresita Deles, may just be giving away P31 million to a non-existent rebel group that was once tagged by government as the Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB), no matter what new name Deles has given the claimed beneficiaries of the P31 million funding program.

Reliable sources said that the ABB, then known as the breakaway urban assassination squad of the Communist Party of the Philipines (CPP) has not been in existence for years, with even the Philippine military and the Philippine National Police then claiming that the ABB had been eliminated for sometime now.

It was earlier reported that the Aquino administration, through the office of Deles, would be funding the ABB with a grant of P31 million.

But Deles, in a radio interview yesterday claimed that the Aquino government is merely implementing the grant given by the Estrada government and that the P31 million is to be spent on livelihood projects in communities occupied by the ABB.

Interviewed by the Tribune, former President Estrada said that the fact that this was never implemented means that there was that violation of whatever agreement was made then.

“The intent of the Aquino government is to end the armed rebellion. They (government) are not negotiating a political settlement but an end to armed rebellion. They (armed groups) will not longer be armed groups or change their organizations. Like the CPLA (Cordillera People’s Liberation Army, they will register with the Securities and Exchange Commission and will no longer become armies,” Deles was quoted as saying.

Deles stressed the importance of profiling and the registration of firearms, claiming that the ABB members are sometimes recruited to become members of the private armies of politicians’ during elections.

She also noted that the government wants to do away with armed rebellions in the country, claiming that conditions have changed in some areas.

The proposal of government funding while called a livelihood program, will however, still go to areas controlled supposedly by the ABB, which translates to the beneficiaries being the ABB—if such a group is still in existence.

Deles was also quoted as saying in the interview that ABB members will also be required to register their firearms but they will not be asked to surrender them, yet she also claimed that no permits to carry firearms outside residence will be given to the armed group.

Malacañang yesterday quickly denied the government gave a P31-million grant to the ABB, even when Deles virtually confirmed that the grant will be going to residents of areas which are controlled by the ABB.

Deputy Presidential Spokesman Abigail Valte said the P31-million which the government would be shelling out is part of the government’s Pamana project and is intended for the development of communities in the strife-torn areas in the country.

“There is no grant to the ABB. Pamana is the program for the development of communities and alternative livelihood. It will not be government turnint over the funds to any armed group,” Valte told reporters during a phone patch interview in Malacañang on Monday.

The Palace official issued this clarification amid reports quoting Deles as saying that the government has allotted such funds to support livelihood projects for residents in the communities occupied by the ABB group.

Upon confirming it with Secretary Deles, Valte explained that the P31-million fund was not given directly to the ABB group but is being handled by the government to develop projects for the said communities in partnership with the local government units and national agencies.

“We are identifying the communities that need development. So our main partner is the national government and this would be the concerned LGUs (Local Government Units) and the national agencies that can implement the program. So there is no grant to the ABB,” Valte said.

Valte emphasized that the funds allocated for Pamana projects are “really for the development of communities” and these are not given to a particular entity. The funding will be given to government entities, so it will be the government that will be developing the communities and provide them the alternative livelihood,” she added.

Pamana is the government’s peace and development program and framework which seeks to reduce poverty, improve governance and empower communities through community-driven projects that address the people’s needs and, at the same time, promote peace.

The program is being led by the OPPAP, along with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Interior and Local Government, and Department of Agrarian Reform as its partners.

Deles stressed that “If they (ABB ) don’t agree to this closure process, then the negotiations will no longer continue and they will be treated as lawless elements, saying it will be the group’s last chance.

Earlier Deles, the government chief negotiator Marvic Leonen, along with their principal, President Aquino, were mired in controversy over the P5 million “gift” they gave the Moro Islamic Liberation Front ostensibly for kickstarting the MILF foundation that claims to focus on BangsaMoro leaders, despite the continuing killing of soldiers,

Zambales Rep. Milagros “Mitos” Magsaysay also yesterday cautioned the government against demoralization among the ranks of the police following its decision to allot P31 million for the housing and livelihood of families of surrendered members of the ABB, the group responsible for the killing of roughly 200 policemen in the 90’s.

“The timing of the government’s decision is very bad since the issue in Mindanao with the MILF is still very fresh,” Magsaysay said in a statement. “Military officers as well as policemen were part of the casualty in the clashes there involving another group that the government is working to achieve peace with.

“The families of the casualties also need help so what is the government doing for them?”

Aside from this, policemen have long been complaining of a shortage in benefits compared to their counterparts in other countries that the government has yet to address.

“This decision sends a wrong message to the police and military, especially at this time because it would seem that the leadership is prioritizing the welfare of those who are opposing or have opposed the government rather than those who are protecting it. It would seem that the government’s concern is more for those who have caused losses to the state rather than those who are risking their lives for the safety of our people,” Magsaysay said.

However, since the government has already decided, Magsaysay said that if the state wants to achieve closure, as it claimed is the reason for this decision, it should at least ensure that the group has also kept its end of the bargain for the time the agreement was at a standstill.

“Before they (government) give the money, they should make sure that the beneficiaries have not committed any lawless acts in the years since their commitment with the government and that those who are still active with their criminal activities will not be given a share of this fund,” she said.

“It is sad because the government is very loose with its purse strings when it comes to these groups but when it comes to projects that will benefit the people as a whole, they always cite austerity. And mostly, this backfires because the money they give are used to purchase arms that are used against government forces.”

“The government wants to achieve peace, and they want to achieve closure. That is commendable in itself but like it said, justice must be served for all, and rewarding those who have not kept their part is just an insult to families of the policemen who lost their lives to this group,” the solon said. –Danessa O. Rivera and Charlie V. Manalo, Daily Tribune