(Logo of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion in Region 1)
LAOAG CITY – Another New People’s Army (NPA) rebel surrendered to local authorities on Friday in Barangay Rosario, Cervantes, Ilocos Sur.
Police Brig. Gen. Emmanuel B. Peralta, Regional Director of the Police Region Office 1, said the surrenderer was identified as “Ka Mike/Steward”, 36, of Sitio Cabaroan, Barangay Concepcion, Cervantes, Ilocos Sur.
"Ka Mike" was a former squad leader of Larangang Medina, Platun Uno under the Ilocos-Cordillera Committee (ICRC).
Based on a police report, the surrenderer also yielded to authorities an M16 A1 Cal 5.56 mm rifle with defaced serial number, two short magazines, 17 pieces 5.56 mm ammunition, a rifle grenade, and an MK2 fragmentation hand grenade.
Through the assistance of the 102nd Maneuver Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 1 (RMFB1) led by Police Col. Roel R. Sermese, Force Commander, "Ka Mike" was brought to RMFB1 headquarters in Parian, San Fernando City, La Union for debriefing and processing of documents for his enrolment to the national government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), which provides temporary shelter to former rebels.
“This is a testament that our strong anti-terrorism efforts are really paying off. I encourage our police personnel to continue exerting efforts to support the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC), so we can encourage more rebels to withdraw their support and allegiance to the NPA and return to the folds of the government,” Peralta said in a statement on Friday.
The NTF ELCAC is a whole-of-nation approach being utilized by the Duterte administration to defeat the more than 50-year insurgency problem in the country.
Under this program, former rebels and their families are given financial assistance, shelter, education, skills training, healthcare, and legal assistance through a convergence of various national and local government agencies.
Aside from the provision of temporary shelter, each rebel returnee is entitled to PHP15,000 immediate assistance, PHP21,000 reintegration assistance, and PHP50,000 livelihood assistance, among other benefits. (PNA)
