Cabal: No place for NPA in Bohol, declare Reds persona non grata in towns

Bohol Provincial Police Office (BPPO) acting director Colonel Jonathan Cabal called on local government units in the province to declare the New People’s Army (NPA) as persona non grata in their towns to show their support for the national government’s fight to eradicate the 50-year rebellion waged by the Communist Party of the Philippines.

So far, Tagbilaran City and 28 towns have made the declaration even prior to Cabal’s call for action.

“I encourage the other 19 municipalities who have not yet declared the New People’s Army as persona non-grata to declare them as such. We cannot be on the other side. We have to be one with the government, especially that it is the order of the President and the SILG,” said Cabal during an interview with media on Thursday.

“Personae non gratae” is Latin for unwelcome or unappreciated personalities.

The following municipalities have declared the NPA as persona non-grata:

Balilihan
Batuan
Bien Unido
Bilar
Buenavista
Candijay
Carmen
Catigbian
Corella
Cortes
Dagohoy
Danao
Dimiao
Duero
Garcia Hernandez
Getafe
Lila
Loboc
Maribojoc
Pilar
Pres. Carlos P. Garcia
San Miguel
Sevilla
Sierra Bullones
Sikatuna
Tagbilaran City
Trinidad
Tubigon
Valencia

Those which have not made the declaration are the following:

Albur
Alicia
Anda
Antequera
Baclayon
Calape
Clarin
Dauis
Guindulman
Inabanga
Jagna
Loay
Loon
Mabini
Panglao
Sagbayan
San Isidro
Talibon
Ubay

Meanwhile, the Bohol Provincial Board (PB) earlier this week passed a resolution declaring the CPP-NPA as persona non grata in the province.

The resolution was passed through the recommendation of Board Member Ricky Masamayor who also condemned the group for its “terroristic acts.”

Cabal considered the declaration of the NPA as unwelcome in the province and the towns as “definitely a morale booster” for the police.

According to Cabal, there is no place for the NPA in Bohol which has been thriving in its efforts to curb poverty.

“Here in Bohol, we have a thriving tourism industry, we have a very good economy and the people of Bohol are peace-loving so there’s no reason for them to stay here,” he said.

Bohol’s strong stance against the NPA was mounted despite being deemed “insurgency-free” since 2010—a far cry from the situation in neighboring Negros Oriental which has been rocked by a spate of killings believed to have been perpetrated by the communist insurgents. (R. Tutas)