SURRENDERED. A former member of the New People's Army surrenders to authorities in Doña Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan on Monday (Oct. 17, 2022). The former rebel is under the custody of the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company for documentation and debriefing. (Photo courtesy of the Bulacan Police Provincial Office)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – A former member of the New People’s Army (NPA) and three other former members of the Militiang Bayan have voluntarily surrendered and turned over their firearms in Central Luzon.
In a report on Tuesday, the former NPA rebel, identified only as "Ka Manuel", gave up to authorities in Doña Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan on Monday.
Col. Relly B. Arnedo, officer in charge of the Bulacan Police Provincial Office, said "Ka Manuel" acted as NPA team leader in 1991 operating in the provinces of Quezon and Zambales.
On the other hand, the three former members of Militiang Bayan, identified only as "Ka Budy", "Ka Jaime", and "Ka Jerry", decided to yield voluntarily along with their firearms over the weekend.
They surrendered a caliber .22 revolver with four live ammunition, a 12-gauge improvised shotgun without ammunition, a grenade and fragmentation M67, a caliber .30 Garand rifle without markings, and six pieces of live caliber .30 ammunition.
Brig. Gen. Cesar R. Pasiwen, director of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 3 (Central Luzon), encouraged the other members of the communist group to “return to the fold of the law, go back to their communities, and have renewed lives.”
Meanwhile, the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) has reported the successful dismantling of two communist terrorist guerilla fronts in their area of responsibility.
Nolcom covers the regions of Ilocos, Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon, including Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), and the Benham Rise.
Lt. Gen. Ernesto C Torres Jr., Nolcom commander, said the dismantled terrorist guerilla fronts are the West and East Front Committees.
From July 1 to September this year, Torres also said that 25 communist terrorist personalities were neutralized through surrenders and joint law enforcement operations.
He directed every unit under his command to remain aggressive and relentless in their campaign to end the communist insurgency in their joint area of operations.
“It is our goal to end this five decades-long insurgency. They are at the tipping point and it only needs one final push. We shall not rest on our laurels and deliver our final blow against the communists. As we close this year, it is my desire to put an end to this scourge. We shall continue to be united and I will be with you throughout this phase as we perform our duties as defenders of the North,” he said in a statement on Tuesday. (PNA)
