The military has extended a controversial anti-insurgency battle plan that progressive organizations have linked to extra-judicial killings of persons identified with the left.
Armed Forces chief Lt. Gen. Ricardo David on Sunday said Oplan Bantay Laya II, which expired last June, has been extended until January next year. The military started implementing the plan in June 2007.
“The Oplan Bantay Laya II expired last June so we are extending it for six months. We will come up with a new campaign plan by January 2011,” said David.
A follow up to the original Bantay Laya, Bantay Laya II aims to defeat not only the communist New People’s Army (NPA) but also the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf. It also seeks to contain the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Mindanao.
David said extending the battle plan does not mean they failed in defeating the NPA, the prime target of the battle plan.
“It does not actually mean that it failed when you did not accomplish your target because it’s just a target,” he said.
David said through Bantay Laya II, the military has reduced the NPA’s strength from 7,000 to less than 5,000, a figure he described as “inconsequential” considering that the NPA strength used to be more than 20,000 in the 1980s.
David said they would emphasize the respect and upholding of human rights in crafting the new campaign plan, noting that such is one of the thrusts of President Benigno Aquino III.
“The focus of the new campaign will be the respect for human rights… To achieve this (defeat of NPA), you have to have a clear human rights advocacy,” he said.
David said the new campaign plan will have the Davao region as the “national focus.” He said they chose Davao because of the “high” number of NPA insurgents there due mainly to poverty.
“The number of ideologues is small. Many of the people there are poor and they think that [extortion] is easy money, and they justify why they extort – they say it’s for their movement,” the official said.
NPA rebels are known to collect “revolutionary taxes” from big businesses in their areas. – KBK, GMANews.TV
September 18 –
International Equal Pay Day
“Increase wages now,
more than other cost items.
For widespread, practical equality!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the recommendations of the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry
against serious violations of protocols of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association.
Accept the National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands
#Report Corruption #SearchPosts #TakePicturesVideos
October –
Monthly Observances:
Industry and Commerce Safety Month
National Statistics Month
Local Government Month
Consumer Welfare Month
Cooperative Month
National Quality and Productivity Improvement Month
National Health and Wellness Tourism Month
National Indigenous Peoples Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 1: Elderly Filipino Week
Week 2: National Health Education Week
Local Government Week
National Mental Health Week
October 17-23:
National Week for Overcoming Extreme Poverty
October 18 – 24:
United Nations Week
Last Week:
Nurses’ Week
Consumers’ Protection Week
Week of the 4th Sunday:
Barrio Farmers’ Week
Daily Observances:
First Monday (Oct 4): Universal Children’s Day i
n the Philippines
Oct 5: National Teachers’ Day
Oct 10: Local Government Day
Third Thursday (Oct 14): Conflict Resolution Day
Oct 21: Tenants’ Emancipation day
Oct 24: United Nations Day
Oct 29: National Indigenous People’s Thanksgiving Day
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
