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Wednesday, July 19, 2006
PB objects to tapping village execs as gov't spies
By Lizanilla J. amarga
TO MAKE barangay captains as spies in their areas in pursuit of the total war policy of the National Government will not only spell additional work but also put their lives in grave danger, said Provincial Board (PB) member Norris Babiera.
Babiera moved for the approval of a resolution expressing "vehement objection to the Department of National Defense's move to utilize all barangay captains in the country as monitoring agents in their area of responsibility in the intensification of the total war policy against the rebels and insurgent in the country."
Babiera, who heads the PB Misamis Oriental committee on police and public safety, said utilizing these barangay captains as "monitoring agents and/or intelligence operatives" in furtherance of the total war policy against rebels and insurgents will put their lives to greater risk.
He said these barangay captains would be "defenseless and without protection... from reprisal attacks by rebels and insurgents."
"Giving extra-powers to barangay captains as spies and or intelligence operatives who would be required by the Department of National Defense to submit regular reports will be an added work or burden to the lowly paid barangay captains," he said.
"Utilizing barangay captains to spy or monitor and report rebels and insurgents bespeak of the return to "McCarthysim" practice during Martial Law regime which can be subject to abuse and red-tagging for those opposing the total war policy as the ultimate solution to the problem of insurgency."
PB committee on human rights and good government chairman Francisco Bade believes that the Department of National Defense won't take heed to any moves to stay their orders to use all barangay captains in the country as spies.
He then moved that the resolution be paraphrased to include the words that the PB is in "complete disagreement" with the DND in their move to use barangay captains as spies against rebels and insurgents.
"For who are we to vehemently object," he said.
Babiera for his part yielded to the amendment and the resolution as amended was approved unanimously by all the members.
The national government has declared for a total war policy against the National People's Army (NPA), which has been tagged by some foreign countries as terrorists.
All peace negotiations with the NPA and its political wings, the Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front, have been put to a halt by the National Government.
(July 19, 2006 issue)
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