Dela Rosa recalls bloody encounter in a Sitio now free from NPA, supports PHP1.891-billion OPAPP budget for 2022

The Senate Finance Subcommittee "C" headed by Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, conducted budget briefing on the PHP1.891-billion proposed budget of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) for next year.

The PHP1,891,030,000 OPAPP funding for the fiscal year 2022, proposed under the 2022 National Expenditure Program, is lower by PHP209,916,000 than the PHP2,100,946,000 OPAPP appropriations this year.

Dela Rosa, during the subcommittee hearing, congratulated Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., for the successful peace efforts of the OPAPP and the entire government, citing as an example the implementation of development projects in local areas or communities under the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

Dela Rosa admitted he gets goosebumps whenever he remembers a bloody encounter where he and Galvez, together with two companies of military scout rangers and a company of Special Action Force, were pinned down by a huge number of New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Sitio Fatima, Barangay Mandug, Davao City. Thirteen soldiers died and many were wounded in the firefight.

"If you (Galvez) can recall, it was Friday the thirteenth wherein thirteen din na tauhan natin ang namatay doon sa lugar na 'yon. Naengkwentro ka doon sa lugar and we insisted on reinforcing you. 'Yung nag-reinforce kami ni Lieutenant Indanan, you can just imagine isang kumpanya mo ng Scout Ranger, isang kumpanya ni Lieutenant Indanan na Scout Ranger, and isang kumpanya ko ng PCR SAF na-pin down tayo doon sa lugar sa dami ng kalaban. Sa dami ng NPA," the Mindanaoan Senator said.

"The encounter, parang it lasted for a lifetime para sa akin. Nagsimula ng madaling araw, natapos tayo, naka-withdraw tayo siguro hapon na sir, no? Mga alas kwatro, alas tres o alas kwatro ng hapon," he further said.

The former Chief of the Philippine National Police said Sitio Fatima is now NPA-free and the residents are living in peace, adding that the improvement of the community is because of government development projects.

"Alam mo sir (Galvez), yung lugar na yon, binisita ko...Pumapasok kami ngayon doon...nagma-mountain bike. Kasi yung Sitio Fatima, fully-cemented na lahat ng kalsada, sir. At tinatanong ko yung mga tao doon, sabi ko, 'Kamusta kayo dito? Ano nang nangyari sa inyo?' Sabi nila, 'Sir, sa awa ng Diyos, wala nang NPA dito.' Sabi ko, 'Bakit wala nang NPA? Sabi nila, 'Dahil sir, pag makakita kami ng NPA, isang text lang namin sa sundalo at sa pulis, sir, nandiyan na kaagad ang sundalo dahil ang kalsada, sir, accessible na at takot na yung NPA mag-stay dito dahil marami nang mga local tourist na nagpupunta dahil parang tourist spot na yung lugar, sir,'" Dela Rosa recalled.

"I will advise you to go back to that place para magdasal ka doon para sa mga fallen comrades natin na namatay doon sa engkwentro na 'yun," he said to Galvez.

"I'm just very proud to tell you na dahil sa mga Barangay Development projects ng (NTF-)ELCAC, nasemento 'yung mga lugar, nawala ang NPA at masayang-masaya na 'yung mga tao doon. Nagpapasalamat lang ako sa 'yo dahil I know, nagsakripisyo ka talaga sa lugar na 'yun. And thank you for continuing to serve this country even beyond retirement from the military," he said.

Sec. Galvez appealed for additional P2.775 billion budget for their critical programs in support of the peace process including funding for National Amnesty Commission and MNLF Transformation Program.