THE Police Regional Office of Cordillera (PRO-COR) wants local government units (LGUs) to be responsible in ensuring peace and order in their communities through localized peace talks.
Chief Superintendent Rwin Pagkalinawan, deputy regional director for administration, said they are waiting for the directive from the government regarding localized peace talks where they want to put the obligation to the LGUs for peace and order initiation.
“If ever there will be localized peace talks, we want the LGU’s to be responsible in making sure peace and order initiation are being implemented,” Pagkalinawan said.
With the terrorist acts happening, Pagkalinawan stressed if LGU’s are willing to help their own government, there will be lower chances of encounters that will happen in the region.
“What’s happening is that, there are LGU’s that admits giving support to the PNP and ARMY, but at the same time they are also giving support to the terrorist. What we need now is for the LGU’s to understand they are part of the government and they shouldn’t be helping those terrorist in the mountainous places,” Pagkalinawan emphasized.
The deputy director added there will be more peaceful community if LGU’s approve in letting personnel from PRO-COR to go to the hillside and condemn these terrorist acts.
“Encounters will only stop if we let our personnel in the army go to the hillside and condemn the terrorist acts like teaching alternative education program to our youth in the mountains and also extortion activities,” Pagkalinawan stated.
Meanwhile, regional director Chief Superintendent Rolando Nana said they are hoping for the approval of the government for localized peace talks and assures to push it in the region.
“I hope the government will be proving the local peace talks and I hope to push it in the Cordillera because there is no good thing that will happen with these terrorist acts,” Nana added. (Czarina Berlynn Donne Agustin/ MMSU intern)