MORE SURRENDERERS. Another two New People's Army (NPA) rebels surrender Thursday, July 11, in Siay, Zamboanga Sibugay, saying the communist rebel movement had deceived them. The two pose for posterity picture together with Lt. Col. Don Templonuevo, Army's 44th Infantry Battalion commander (left) and another officer of the same battalion after their surrender. (Photo courtesy of Army's 44th Infantry Battalion)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Two more New People’s Army (NPA) rebels have surrendered to government authorities in Zamboanga Sibugay Thursday.
Lt. Col. Don Templonuevo, Army’s 44th Infantry Battalion commander, said the two, whose identities were being withheld for security reason, surrendered in Barangay Balagon, Siay, Zamboanga Sibugay.
Templonuevo said the surrenderers turned over two .38-caliber pistols with ammunition.
“One of the surrenderers revealed that they are no longer satisfied with the promises and lies of the Communist NPA Terrorists (CNT) in their community,” Templonuevo said.
The two surrendered a day after four NPA rebels, including a female insurgent, surrendered -- also in Barangay Balagon, Siay town. The female combatant, a certain Ka Carol, said they decided to surrender Wednesday after they realized that the NPA deceived them into joining the terrorist organization.
“The snowball of surrender can be attributed to the convergence of efforts of the local government units, government agencies and other stakeholders through the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) in Region 9,” said Brig. Gen. Bagnus Gaerlan Jr., Army’s 102nd Infantry Brigade commander.
The RTF-ELCAC-9 was activated on May 24 at the headquarters of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division in Camp Sang-an, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur in line with the Executive Order 70 President Rodrigo Duterte signed on December 4, 2018.
The EO creates the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and institutionalized the “whole-of-nation-approach” in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace.
Under the EO 70, the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) is just one of the social development packages that provide benefits and opportunities to former NPA rebels, who decided to return to the fold of the law and live a peaceful life.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Roberto Ancan, Army’s 1st Infantry Division commander, commended the efforts of the troops that led to the surrender of the NPA rebels.
“Let us embrace our long-lost brothers and sisters who have been victims of the lies and deceit of Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) as they return and chose to lead a life away from violence,” Ancan said. (PNA)
