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Gov’t to spend P 518 million for new Cafgu recruits---Pamalakaya report

The left-leaning fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Saturday said the national government will spend P 518 million in taxpayers money to fund the operations of 8,000 new Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) over the next three years in a bid to cut in half the strength of communists rebels by 2010.

Based on the existing P 60 subsistence allowance per day for each Cafgu, the militant group said the government will set aside P 480,000 a day for new 8,000 Cafgu recruits or P 14.4 million a month and P 172.6 million a year.

“The government has huge money for senseless and unjust war, but there’s no money for food, basic social services and general welfare of the people,” said Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap in a press statement. Hicap said the government was not responding to the Filipino people and international community calls for the disbandment of the para-military forces.

The militant leader said since 1987, the dismantling of Cafgu paramilitary forces had been brought forward to the attention of the national government because of its involvement in the spate of extra-judicial killings and left and right human rights abuses in the countryside.

Aside from being used to sow terror against the people, Pamalakaya said the Cafgus had been used as private armies of despotic landlords and politicians and multinational corporations. “That’s why we are calling for its’ disbandment since time immemorial, but Congress failed to act on this standing legitimate demand for nearly two decades now,” Hicap said.

“Perhaps, Mrs. Arroyo would mobilize Cafgus, including the new recruits for election cheating purposes in the May 2007 national and local elections,” Hicap added.

“The government is using public funds to violate the basic human rights of the people. This is totally foul, grossly unfair and graphically detestable,” Hicap added.

Hicap further said, at the present, the Army employs 52,740 Cafgu regulars, and this employment cost taxpayers money by P 3.16 million, P 94.53 million per month and P 1.139 B a year. “This is where our taxpayers money go. The government and the military is appropriating people’s money for state sponsored terrorism,” the Pamalakaya leader added.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon Jr. last week said the AFP will recruit and additional 8,000 Cafgus and 3,000 Army troops in line with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s thrust to crush communist insurgency by 2010.

The AFP chief said half of the 3,000 Army troops will act as cadres or leaders of new Cafgu units while the other half will act as augment field units. Esperon said the 3,000 new Army cadres or leaders are authorized to form 90 Cafgu units with 7,920 members. Latest military reports pegged the NPA strength to 7,400-armed members.

The new Cafgu recruits would serve as village defense or stay behind units while military troops raid suspected lairs of the New People’s Army specially in focus areas such as Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, Bicol and Caraga regions and the provinces of Samar and Davao. According to Esperon, the new Cafgu paramilitary forces will be recruited in known NPA hotspots. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 05:56 | link | comments |

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