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Zubiri, Abalos assure steady support to Sitio Kapihan residents

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Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News

MANILA - Residents of Sitio Kapihan who joined the exodus of Socorro Bayanihan Services, Inc. years ago can be assured of the government’s various forms of assistance should they decide to go back to their community and start anew, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos said Wednesday.Abalos made the assurance before the Senate Finance Committee, while confirming to Senator Risa Hontiveros his scheduled Thursday meeting with Secretaries Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga (DENR) and and Jesus Crispin Remulla (DOJ) regarding the SBSI issue.Abalos believes the Sitio Kapihan situation also requires the involvement of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHUSD) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).The DILG for one, he said, commits its full support in ensuring the security of locals, government officials and other personnel who would be visiting Sitio Kapihan.“Pero sa ngalan po ng aming ahensya, ang unang-una pong maibibigay namin ay peace and order, dahil yun nga ang sinabi sa akin ni Secretary (Loyzaga), kinakabahan siyang pumasok roon,” Abalos said.As of this writing, policemen are already stationed at the entrance of Sitio Kapihan community.A “mini-police station” was also set up at the center of the community, the Secretary said.“Nang sa ganoon makita ng mga tao ang presensya ng pulisya. Ito ay simbolo ng peace and order sa lugar. At sa ibang mga bagay-bagay na pwede pa kaming tumulong, ito ay pag-uusapan namin bukas po. Pero of course, nangunguna na ang peace and order po rito at iba pang programa na pwedeng ibigay po namin ay gagawin namin tomorrow,” Abalos explained.Senator Risa Hontiveros, while thanking Abalos, also underlined the issue about local police personnel who went AWOL (absent without leave) and joined the SBSI, as well as the possibility that they are now acting as SBSI President Jey Rence Quilario’s private army.“There are also reports that SBSI has a private army equipped with firearms. So may records po ba kayo, Chief PNP, tungkol sa mga police personnel na ito at yung kanilang status? At halimbawa po, sinurrender na po ba nila yung kanilang service firearms?,” Hontiveros asked.Philippine National Police Chief General Benjamin Acorda said those police personnel already surrendered their service firearms.“With regards to the private armed groups, part of that is mino-monitor talaga natin yung presensya ng threat from them. And based on the reports of our regional director there, ma’am, although there’s some parang mga sinasabing firearms, and upon verification may mga kahoy na nakuha natin and there is no actual posession na baril na tunay na nakuha,” Acorda said.“We are now conducting inventory of our personnel, especially these skills na medyo hindi dapat basta-basta naipapasa kahit nino man. So nagi-inventory tayo niyan. And also with regards to this situation in Socorro, we really see that there is a problem doon sa area. That’s why we established our personnel, the presence of our police personnel there,” he added.This early, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri is calling on the DSWD to ready its assistance to Sitio Kapihan residents who will finally decide to come back to their community.The same should be done by the DOLE and the Department of Education with respect to the needs of the youth.“Nalaman natin na ang dami palang kabataan doon ang hindi naga-aaral. Sila po ay displaced din educationally. Wala na po sa DepEd program, at marami pang children that are no read, no write dito sa mga lugar na ito,” Zubiri, in a news briefing said.Senators are also discussing the SBSI issue aside from budget deliberations, Zubiri said.The Senate will also ask the DSHUD to assist the people.“Bring back normalcy or normality in the situation on the ground. Dapat matigil na itong ganitong klaseng panga-abuso, pangbe-brainwash ng taumbayan.. this type of abuse should never be tolerated in this type of society,” Zubiri said.<div>RELATED VIDEO</div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2825933" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri is calling on the DSWD to ready its assistance to Sitio Kapihan residents who will decide to come back to their community.

Zubiri, Abalos assure steady support to Sitio Kapihan residents

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Zubiri, Abalos assure steady support to Sitio Kapihan residents

Sherrie Ann Torres,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 04, 2023 05:22 PM PHT

Read More:

Sitio Kapihan

Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc.

Benhur Abalos

DILG

Senate

Department of Interior and Local Government

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