Army eyes Cafgu camp in Sagada

REELING from the violence of rebel groups, the army is asking for the setup of a Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (Cafgu) station in Sagada town.

General Leopoldo Imbaga of the 503rd Infantry Brigade is recommending the formation and installation of Cafgu in the town dubbed as a peace zone to deter any attacks by rebel groups.

Imbaga during the RPOC meeting in Ifugao said the declaration of a peace zone in the area has long been violated owing 162 attacks since 2010.

A resolution from the RPOC condemning the recent attack in Sagada is also in order in a bid to secure peacekeeping efforts of government forces in the town.

On June 5, a police officer was killed while nine others were hurt during a shootout when personnel from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 15 and Mountain Province Provincial Mobile Force Company, who were conducting peacekeeping operations, encountered an undetermined number of armed rebels at Mt. Sipitan, Barangay Aguid.

The security forces were conducting operations to prevent the reported extortion and other criminal activities by members of an armed group when the incident occurred.

Police Officer (PO) 2 Henry Dion died during the shootout while Superintendent Joseph Cayat, PO3 Wilfred Manacnis, PO1 Aldrin Bocalan, PO1 Clarence Abuan, PO1 Antolin Potpoten, PO1 Xander Depnag, PO1 Jake Paat, PO1 Yasser Guzman, and PO2 Regie Palome were wounded.

Imbaga said the presence of lawless elements in Sagada will remain a perennial problem unless local government units and the community will strongly deny the presence and activities of the groups with the support of the military and the police.

The army general said rebels freely conduct activities in the area which include the celebration of the CPP anniversary, consolidation meetings, encampments, meetings and dialogs, harboring, foraging, sightings, training, mass work and visitations totaling to 171 monitored activities in the areas of Aguid, Balugan, Banagan, Madungo, Fidelisan, Poblacion and Tanulong.

Imbaga said the Cafgu unit has to be requested by the LGU to assist the community in efforts to keep the rebels out especially the town is a known tourist spot.

Sagada elder and peace adviser Thomas Killip slammed the army report saying community effort was left out of the presentation undermining the action of residents in the curbing of rebellion in the town.

Killip said community response to rebellion in the area must also be taken into consideration as well as the valuing of the declaration of the town as a peace zone.