Capt. Rhyan Batchar says that the AFP’s now is aimed at the “ISIS-inspired” armed groups such as the Abu Sayyaf Group, and the Maute group. On August last year, the army sent as many as 1,000 soldiers to Jolo, Sulu to fight the ASG. (Paulo C. Rizal/davaotoda.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — A new security plan dubbed as “Oplan Kapayapaan” or the Development Support and Security Plan Kapayapaan (Peace) will focus on supporting government development efforts to address internal security threats, an Army spokesman here said.
“We are now focused in the support of nation building, support to law enforcement authorities in the fight against criminality and illegal drugs, civil military cooperation, peace building advocacy, and the application of military forces against terrorists and other armed threat groups,” said Capt. Rhyan Batchar in a press briefing on Wednesday, Jan. 18.
Under the new security plan, the armed-wing of the Communist Party which is the New People’s Army, the Moro National Liberation Front, and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front are now referred to as “peace inclined groups” as all three are currently in talks with the government.
“Oplan Kapayapaan” will eventually replace the Internal Peace and Security Plan Bayanihan or known as “Oplan Bayanihan.”
Batchar pointed out that AFP’s now is aimed at the “ISIS-inspired” armed groups such as the Abu Sayyaf Group, and the Maute group. On August last year, the army sent as many as 1,000 soldiers to Jolo, Sulu to fight the ASG.
Read: Army sends elite troops to Sulu to fight ASG
In a separate interview, Joint Task Force Haribon commander Brig. Gen. Gilbert Gapay said they will be supporting the government’s developmental efforts by using their capabilities to bring services to far flung areas.
Gapay also downplayed criticism against IPSP Bayanihan, saying that these accusations of human rights violations were “mere propaganda.”
“The presence of the army in far flung areas and communities are for peace and development. These areas are not frequented, others have not even seen their barangay captains and other government agencies,” Gapay said.
“Being with pervasive development, we bring these agencies with us and provide them security. It’s not militarization, it just so happens that there are security threats that’s why our partner agencies cannot reach them,” he added.
But Pastor Jurie Jaime, of Exodus for Justice and Peace , who has facilitated dialogues for the release of prisoners expressed doubts over the sincerity of the Army’s new security plan.
“The Oplan Bayanihan as a counterinsurgency plan was patterned after the United States Counter Insurgency Guide. If Kapayapaan was only an ‘enhanced’ version, then it cannot give us true peace,” Jaime told DavaoToday in a phone interview.
Jaime maintained that human rights violations committed under the “Oplan Bayanihan” were real and were documented by a voluminous dossier.
Read related story: City Council tells AFP to leave schools, barangay halls
“The documents gathered during fact finding missions cannot be called as simple propaganda. There have been documented numbers of political deaths, especially that of activists and human rights defenders who struggled against mining, corruption, and neoliberal policies in general,” he pointed out.
“That is not counting incidents of encampment in schools and in baranggay halls. Those are violations of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and the International Humanitarian law. Those violations cannot be just propaganda because they were well documented,” Jaime said. (davaotoday.com)
