BONTOC, Mountain Province - The local government of Mountain Province and the provincial peace and order council here declared the ten towns of the province as peace zones to prevent the escalation of violence emanating from outside to be brought to their jurisdiction which could affect the peaceful living of the people and the supposed economic activities. While the said declaration seems to encounter opposition from several sectors in the province, especially among groups with personal and political interests, Mountain Province Gov. Leonardo Mayaen said the sustained peace efforts in the province is one of his administration's primordial concern with the support of various stakeholders in order to help establish sufficient factors for growth and development in the countryside.
Mayaen said that among the major deterrent to peace and order in the province is the influence of the New People's Army (NPA) in some interior villages of several towns, the presence of unlicensed firearms in some towns in eastern Mountain Province, and the adherence of some tribes to the tribal war doctrine whereby they tend to avenge the loss of life of their tribesmen. (Dexter See)
