Ka Rolex was a former officer of the Larangan 78 of the New People's Army operating in Albay’s second district under the leadership of Ka Jerry Abache alyas Arwan/Bitoy and has returned to the fold of the law.
He is one of the nine rebel-returnees who received Php50,000
livelihood assistance and another Php15,000 for immediate cash assistance under
the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP) of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP).
He and eight other former NPA members who had surrendered to
the authorities were immediately given financial assistance to start a new life
during a simple program last week at the headquarters of the 901st Infantry
Brigade in Barangay Villahermosa in Daraga, Albay.
The CLIP is part of the local mechanism of the AFP to
achieve peace and sustainable development.
It started when the AFP, through the 9th Infantry (Spear)
Division, the Philippine National Police, and the Albay provincial government
entered into an agreement formally declaring the province as “Manageable
Conflict Area” on April 23 this year.
Under the agreement, the provincial government led by
Governor Joey Salceda has to address the root causes of internal security
threats through the CLIP to encourage NPA rebels to surrender voluntarily,
provide livelihood assistance and coordinate with different agencies of the
national government to address the specific grievances of the rebel-returnees.
Salceda said CLIP is a priority program in Albay.
Ka Rolex admitted that he took part in conducting
liquidations, ambuscades, harassment of government troops, police, militia and
suspected informers.
He thanked his wife and all the help he received, especially
from Lt. Col. Perfecto Peñaredondo, 82nd Infantry Battalion commanding officer,
for taking the risk for him to live a new life.
“ I can no longer bear the guilt I suffer on the violence I
had inflicted on innocent people and I thank the Lord for this new lease on my
life,” the former rebel said.
Ka Rolex asked his former comrades who are married and who
are still single to take advantage of the rebel-returnee program while there is
still time.
“I can stop this continuing unnecessary violence if I give
myself up because I still believe that evil will not triumph against a God who
is good and just,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Ignacio Obligacion, 9th Infantry Division deputy
commanding general, said his most difficult problem as a military officer for
the past 37 years was to find an effective way to convince NPA rebels to return
to the fold of the law.
“It’s not to finish all of you but to help you come back as
members of our society,” said Obligacion, adding “We know that you are also
prisoners once you decide to join the NPA. Joining the armed revolution is like
entering an attractive door but once you enter it you can’t go out anymore.”
He said it’s difficult to go out because either "you’ll
be killed by your comrades or something you do not expect will happen to
members of your family."
Col. Cyle Yucot, 901st Brigade commander, said there are
still eight members of the Bicol Regional Party Committee and 29 NPA regulars
who are operating in Albay despite the downgrading of the Larangan 77 and 78
which have been the strongest guerrilla fronts in the '90s to Kilusang Sangay
sa Platon (KSPN) due to the casualties sustained in various encounters,
surrender and capture of its top leaders.
“We are now focusing our effort to address the rebel’s
barangay-based militia and although they do not carry arms they also provide
intelligence on government troop movements as well as support and accommodation
of the NPA combat regulars in their area,” said Yucot.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=830018
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