OATH OF ALLEGIANCE TO GOV’T. Former members of the New People's Army (NPA) and their supporters take an oath of allegiance to the government following their voluntary surrender in Barangay Antipolo, Bongabon, Nueva Ecija last Nov. 9, 2019. Maj. Gen. Lenard Agustin, commander of the Army's 7th Infantry Division (7ID), said that since the implementation of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70 instituting the whole-nation-approach in attaining peace, there has been an increasing number of communist rebels and supporters who have returned to the fold of law. (File photo courtesy of the Army's 7th Infantry Division)
BALER, Aurora—The effective implementation of the government’s whole-of-nation approach in attaining peace has resulted in the series of mass surrender of communist rebels and their supporters in three provinces of Central Luzon.
Major General Lenard Agustin, commander of the Army's 7th Infantry Division (7ID), said in an interview on Wednesday that since the implementation of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70 instituting the whole-nation-approach, there has been an increasing number of communist rebels and their supporters who have returned to the fold of law.
From November 6 to 11 alone, a total of 137 members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and their supporters in Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Aurora have voluntarily surrendered.
“It is evident that this is the result of the ‘whole-of-nation approach’, for the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Aurora have already declared local terrorists as persona non grata and have consequently formed provincial Task Force End Local Communist Armed Conflict at their level,” Agustin said.
He also said that the strengthened cooperation and convergence among government agencies and other stakeholders such as the local government units (LGUs) through the whole-nation approach proved to be effective as shown by the mass surrender of rebels.
“Without the cooperation of our LGUs and local chief executives, down to the barangay level, this would not have been possible,” Agustin said.
Lt. Col. Jose Mari Torrenueva II, Commanding Officer of 91st Infantry Battalion (91IB), for his part, said the whole-of-nation approach which seeks to bring about concerted efforts among stakeholders is gaining headway in their campaign to end local communist armed conflict.
“The unit 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.
Col. Raul Siriban, provincial director of the Aurora Police Provincial Office, said the decision of the communist rebels to re-join the communities “is a great step to rebuild the country and to heal the decades old armed conflict that have caused the loss of not only thousands of precious lives but also delayed the much needed development of our beloved Philippines.”
“We have reached a point where armed confrontation is no longer the norm. Efficient and sincere delivery of services to the people is now the key. The whole of nation approach requires that all sectors of society contribute to the attainment of a true and lasting peace for our country,” he added.
Meanwhile, local government officials assured that they are ready to help the rebels and their supporters to get back to the mainstream society.
Mayor Ariel de Jesus of San Luis, this province, said the surrenderers are welcome in his town and assured that the municipal government is ready to help by giving them livelihood.
“I am willing to help them (surrenderers) to reintegrate into mainstream society and become productive citizens. This is to prove that the government is sincere to attain lasting peace through ending the local communist armed conflict in this town,” de Jesus said. (PNA)
