NPA Rebel’s Worst Foes Turn Guardian Angels

From the Manila  Bulletin (Dec 23): NPA Rebel’s Worst Foes Turn Guardian Angels

To New People's Army (NPA) insurgent Renante Soliman-Dalon, a 44-year-old native of Sarangani province, soldiers were his worst enemies whom he had no qualms to train his gun on. But his perception of the military changed 180 degrees after he, along with his comrades in the underground communist organization, figured in a fierce 30-minute firefight with soldiers last November 13 near Mount Katuad, Bacong village in Tulunan town of North Cotabato. Today, he now looks up to soldiers as his guardian angels. Dalon recalled that during the exchange of fire, he and another companion were injured. The rest of his comrades fled in disarray, leaving them behind. "My companion died of his wounds and I was feeling helpless due to my own injuries. I raised my hands to surrender when I saw the soldiers coming towards me, their guns pointed at me," he said.  He knew that any of those soldiers could have pressed the trigger to kill him, but he tried his luck and asked for mercy. "I asked them to spare my life and treat my wounds because I was already bleeding profusely," he added.

At this point, 1st Lieutenant Johnard Sara-sara, the officer leading the patrol, promptly called the combat medics to administer first aid on the injury of their wounded enemy. Right that very moment, Dalon said the soldiers whom he considered as his worst enemies suddenly became his real-life guardian angels. Two combat medics of the 6th Forward Support Medical Company (FSMC), Cpl. Francisco B. Gamayao and Private Avelino M. Herrera, Jr., wasted no time and treated Dalon's severe wounds. He was then brought to a military hospital in Cotabato City for further treatment. That was his first surprise -- being treated by soldiers.

A few days before Christmas, while recuperating from his wounds inside the military hospital, Dalon never thought that a three-star general would come to visit and bring personally to him a Yuletide present. That was what exactly happened when no less than the Army commanding general, Lt. Gen. Emmanuel T. Bautista took time from his recent three-day trip to Mindanao to visit wounded soldiers who were confined in the same hospital where Dalon was also recuperating. As Dalon was confined in the same ward where several soldiers were being treated for wounds sustained in combat, the Army chief also went to his bedside, and more to his surprise, handed him a Christmas gift jus like his wounded "enemies." In his statement, Bautista said he would like to see more rebels lay down their arms and cooperate with the government in solving community problems. "We should all help to solve our problems and not fight over these problems that could not be solved through the use of armed violence," said Bautista.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/386919/npa-rebel-s-worst-foes-turn-guardian-angels