Army save(s) life of wounded NPA rebel in North Cotabato

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 13): Army save(s) life of wounded NPA rebel in North Cotabato

For decades, communist rebel Renante Dalon has been celebrating Christmas in the mountains of North Cotabato and dreaming of having "noche buena" with his family, friends and parents. Now, Dalon, 46, who was injured during military operations against the New People's Army (NPA) in Magpet, North Cotabato two weeks ago, may celebrate Christmas with his loved ones. He is now undergoing medical treatment at a military hospital here and enjoying a new lease in life.

Dalon was rescued by soldiers after he was abandoned by fleeing comrades following a bloody encounter two weeks ago at the foot of the country's highest peak, Mt. Apo, where the Army intensified its offensive against guerrillas. "I was bloodied, wounded, hurt and I just stared at soldiers surrounding me as if waiting for them to finish me off," Dalon told reporters from his hospital bed at Camp Siongco Station Hospital inside the 6th Infantry Division headquarters. "Instead they carried me to a safe place, gave me first aid and evacuated me to the Camp Siongco Hospital using a helicopter...they treated me humanely. I never expected this,” Delon tearfully said in the vernacular.

Delon served as finance officer of about 200 rebels belonging to the NPA's Front 74. The group has been known as the most undisciplined guerrillas having victimized hapless civilians in the borders of North Cotabato and Davao del Sur. They collect money, forcibly, from communities, especially during harvest seasons, according to Colonel Prudencio Asto, spokesperson of the 6th Infantry Division.

Dalon could not control his tears when 6th ID chief Maj. Gen. Ronnie Ordoyo and Philippine Army commanding general Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista visited him. The ranking officials offered Dalon a bagful of grocery items, clothing and other items that touched him so much. Ordoyo told Gen. Bautista that Dalon sustained bullet wounds in his legs when elements of the Army Scout Rangers, 40th, 57th and Army Special Forces clashed with about 200 NPA guerillas in the mountains of Magpet.

Dalon admitted that rebels have been suffering from depleted financial resources and they resorted to forced taxation on civilians. He was armed with an AK-4 Kalashnikov that ran out of ammunition when the soldiers found him. He was abandoned by his comrades when they saw him fell following a close combat battle. He recalled that a comrade who fell with him, Commander Nikoy, died before the soldiers arrived. Dalon said life in the mountains have been so difficult that they don't have food and medicines during emergencies. "We do not have medicine even for ordinary diseases like dysentery and body pain or stomach problem," he said.

Dalon, a native of Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, joined the communist movement in 1993 after working in a paper company in Valenzuela. He returned to Mindanao and joined the movement. Afraid his comrades will execute him if he returns to the mountains, Dalon said he will migrate to other places along with his two sisters who are both preachers of a religious group in Davao del Sur "to start a new life."

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=479691