“DESPITE any conflict, there is still a room for peace and love within everyone’s heart.”
This is the message of Lieutenant Colonel Joey Baybayan, 3rd Special Forces Battalion commanding officer, after the gift-giving activities in conflict-affected areas in Kilometer 9, Diatagon, Lianga, Caras-an, Tago, Surigao del Sur and in Magsaysay, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur from December 14 to 17.
Children were filled with joy as they received their presents brought by the troops.
Most of the Manobos live in the said communities. These villages are traditional routes of the communist New People’s Army (NPA).
“No road is long and no mountain is high if we are sincere to bring sustainable and genuine peace in these conflict-affected areas,”Baybayan said.
The collaborative efforts of various agencies and private organizations exemplified the Whole-of-Nation Approach to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (Elcac).
The military and its partners produced and distributed the goods, mostly toys, school supplies and Noche Buena packages to around 1,000 beneficiaries.
“There is no substitute to your families, we call on the remaining NPAs to surrender and think about their families. To live life in peace with your families despite the hardships in life is better than living with corrupt NPA leaders and terrorists because they never value family as they continually recruit minors and take them away from their parents,” Baybayan added. (PR)