AFP’s call on NPA rebels to give up keeps gaining ground in SurSur

From the Philippine Information Agency (Apr 7): AFP’s call on NPA rebels to give up keeps gaining ground in SurSur

The constant call by government for the New Peoples’ Army (NPA) to give up arms and return to the folds of law has kept on gaining momentum in Surigao del Sur.

At 8:30 a.m. on April 2, 2016, another active NPA rebel who “identified himself as Vergel Sawe” aka “Jamal, Squad Leader of 2nd Platoon, Guerilla Front 14, Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee surrendered to the troops of Bravo Company, 75th IB, 6th Infantry (Kampilan) Division, Philippine Army,” according to 1Lt. Miguel Borromeo, Jr., Battalion Civil Military Operations (CMO) officer based in Camp Jaime Ferrer, Barangay Maharlika, Bislig City.

Reportedly, the surrenderee brought with him “One AK 47 rifle with magazines and live ammunition and two Improvised Pipe Bomb.”

Col. Isidro Purisima, 402nd Infantry Brigade commander here, had always expressed belief that rebels groups would continue to turn their backs on their cause and seek peace with government.

In fact, he bared in his accomplishment report recently that since the 2nd quarter of 2015 up to the 1st quarter of 2016, the brigade had already posted a total of 93 former rebels (FRs) who availed of the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP).

Lt. Col. Haron Akaz, 75IB commander, had always showed the same gesture.

Meanwhile, 1Lt. Borromeo, concurrent Officer in Charge (OIC) of Bravo Company, during the surrender of Jamal, quoted Lt. Col. Akaz as saying, “I am humbly appealing to their comrades (NPA) to never hesitate to do the same, approach the army units.”

Purisima, when talking to media, would almost always butt in on the CLIP—an approach by the administration to urge rebels to leave their armed struggle and go back to the mainstream of society—and call on NPA rebels to avail of the said program.

It was learned that the former NPA squad leader had confessed that the reason why he joined the rebel group was primarily to “seek justice” for the murder of his uncle (Datu Bulawanon), only to find out lately that those behind the killing were his comrades.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1741460017212/afp-s-call-on-npa-rebels-to-give-up-keeps-gaining-ground-in-sursur