Leyte, Samar remain peaceful amid halt in peace talks with Reds

TACLOBAN CITY, Feb. 23 (PNA) -– The Philippine Army reported that Eastern Visayas region remained peaceful despite the termination of peace talks between the government and communist rebels.

Army’s 8th Infantry Division commander Brig. Gen. Raul Farnacio said Leyte and Samar provinces have been spared by recent atrocities of the New People’s Army (NPA).

Farnacio attributed the situation to the fact that one of the key rebel leaders in the region is a priest, who is also searching for genuine peace. The official is referring to Fr. Santiago Salas, the National Democratic Front (NDF) Eastern Visayas spokesperson.

“Fr. Salas adheres to the peace agreement of the negotiating panel and there is a big chance that they are really pursuing peace, once and for all,” he said.

“I believe that he is aware of the consequence that warring parties had brought to the region, especially to worsening poverty incidence in Samar provinces.”

Farnacio noted that even in Western Visayas where rebels are led by a priest, there are no atrocities as well.

Although there were reported tactical moves by rebels, the official said no violence had been perpetrated by communist rebels recently unlike in other parts of the country where there are attacks, abduction of soldiers, and burning of equipment.

Recently, three NDF leaders in the region have conveyed their intention to continue with the peace talks.

Samar provinces have been a stronghold of armed rebels due to its terrain consisting of densely forested mountainous areas, high poverty incidence, and issue of widespread landlessness, 

according to a 2013 study of William Norman Holden of the University of Calgary in Canada.

Since the early stages of the rebellion, Samar Island has been considered to be a rebel stronghold with 11 percent of all NPA-related incidents having taken place in the three provinces, the same study revealed.

The NPA launched its first tactical operation in the country in Calbiga, Samar in 1974, when it ambushed an army scout patrol and seized a number of their weapons. (PNA)
LAP/SQM/LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA