Five Samar town converge for peace and development forum

By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA Samar)
October 26, 2007

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar  –  Five towns in Samar will converge on October 27, 2007 at the Basey Gymnasium to hold a Peace and Development Forum.

The towns of Basey, Marabut, Sta. Rita, Pinabacdao and Talalora, along with some 500 rural folks belonging to the newly organized Barangay Organized Party (BOP) will take oath as active converts to Kaunlaran ay Isulong Bayan Ibig Gumawa ng Aksiyon Ngayon (KAIBIGAN) Barangay Chapter.

In an invitation to the media, Col. Francisco B. Lanuza, through army Major Armand Rico of the 801st Infantry Brigade with the mentioned LGUs will facilitate the so called social integration of the rural participants.

These participants have been ‘retrieved’ from the influences of the rebels, said the army major through their Special Operation Team (SOT).

With this new development, Officer Rico believes that only a handful of armed NPA’s remain.

KAIBIGAN as coined by the 801st IB is a roadmap to a strategic development concept aimed at maintaining peace and order in the island of Samar thereby ushering progress and development that has long been wanting.

Part of the would-be job of these converts will be to monitor the presence of ‘strangers’ in the barangay to easily ward off suspicious elements.

The BOPs will maintain an open line of communication with government troops for possible assistance.