A total of 123 personalities involved in supporting the National People’s Army (NPA) officially surrendered to the folds of the government in a period of one week in Central Luzon.
On the 6th of November, 53 NPA supporters surrendered to the 84th Infantry Battalion in Caranglan, Nueva Ecija and 24 to the 91st Infantry Battalion in San Luis, Aurora.
Surrenderees came from the following NPA underground affiliates: Sangay ng Partido sa Lokalidad; Yunit Milisyang Bayan; Pambansang Katipunan ng Magbubukid sa Pilipinas; Malayang Kilusan ng Bagong Kababaihan; Kabataang Makabayan of Sitios Lising and Pandayan; and Komiteng Larangang Gerilya Sierra Madre.
The mass surrender was a result of the concerted efforts of the 91st Infantry Battalion (91st IB), 84th Infantry Battalion (84th IB), 3rd Civil Military Operations Company and the 7th Civil Military Operations Battalion with the support and assistance of Barangay Task Forces to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in the areas.
91st IB Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Jose Mari F. Torrenueva II, who formally received the surrenderees in San Luis, said they will continue to conduct necessary actions to convince rebels and their supporters to surrender and go back to mainstream society. “They, too, deserve to live peacefully, and we are giving them the chance to do that,” he said.
Moreover, 84th IB Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Honorato S. Pascual Jr said the 53 former rebels from Carranglan who formally surrendered to him admitted to the useless and pointless cause they were fighting for.
“Gusto na nilang mabuhay nang payapa, at ang paraan lang para magawa nila iyon ay sumuko sila at makipagtulungan sa atin (They want live in peace now, and the only way to do that is for them to cooperate with us),” he shared.
The 7th Infantry Division is currently conducting routine interviews on the surrenderees for processing of their eligibility to available government benefits for former rebels including the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Some of the rebel returnees were presented to Presidential Peace Adviser and Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security for Central Luzon Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. during a meeting of the Peace, Law Enforcement and Development Support Cluster of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict held in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga on Friday.
Galvez led the ceremonial handing over of food and non-food packages and cash as immediate assistance to the surrenderees.
On November 9, about 19 supporters of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Nueva Ecija also voluntarily surrendered to the folds of the government.
Formerly members of Milisyang Bayan and other groups who are supporters of the Komiteng Larangang Guerilya Sierra Madre of the NPA, they surrendered to 91st Infantry Battalion Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Jose Mari F. Torrenueva II in barangay Antipolo, Bongabon town.
“This new batch of surrenderees was accomplished through the assistance of the 84th Infantry Battalion and 1st Police Mobile Force Company of the Nueva Ecija Police Provincial Office,” Torrenueva disclosed.
The surrenderees are residents of barangays Oliveti, Pesa, Macabaclay and Antipolo in Bongabon.
“I am very pleased that our people are now seeing the futility and wrongness of supporting the armed struggle being championed by the NPA. The people can rest assured that my unit will not tire in reaching out to our people in other areas where NPA still wields influence,” Torrenueva said.
This marks the second time in a week that supporters of NPA surrendered to the government.
Then on November 12, a new batch of 27 NPA supporters surrendered. The surrenderees, which include two minors, are members of the Underground Mass Organization under Komiteng Larangang Gerilya Sierra Madre.
“They surrendered last Tuesday, November 12, in Sitio Malidhi, Barangay Minuli, Carranglan town. This was possible through the help of the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company of the Nueva Ecija Police Provincial Office and the Barangay Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict of Minuli. The combined efforts of these agencies and instrumentalities ensured the smooth surrender of the underground mass supporters,” 84th Infantry Battalion Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Honorato S. Pascual Jr said.
“We will continue to work with local government units and the different sectors of the society. We will provide livelihood projects and capacity development programs that will prevent them (the youth and cultural minorities) from being tricked once again by the unscrupulous acts of the NPA,” Pascual added.
In a statement, Army 7th Infantry Division Commander Major General Lenard T. Agustin said he is glad of the series of surrenders that have been taking place in the provinces under his area of responsibility.
“It is very alarming that communist terrorist groups are exploiting vulnerable minorities, especially the youth sector. We are countering these activities by enhancing our information drives, working hand-in-hand with other agencies and local government units, using the whole-of-nation approach. The Barangay Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict of Minuli has done well. It must be aggressive in making other mass supporters see the light as we cannot just stand by and let the NPA influence the youth. It is their children at stake here,” Agustin added./PIA-3
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