Monday, June 12, 2017

2 NPA fighters surrender in Ilocos Sur

From the Business Mirror (Jun 11): 2 NPA fighters surrender in Ilocos Sur

TWO members of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to the Army’s 81st Infantry (Spartan) Battalion over the weekend at its headquarters in Santa Cruz, Ilocos Sur. Lt. Col. Eugenio Julio C. Osias IV, commander of the 81st IB, said they were temporarily withholding the true names of the rebels pending the processing of their integration into the government. Osias said the rebels, whom he identified through their aliases as “Gunman” and “Batman”, surrendered one M16 rifle and an M1 Garand rifle.

Both are residents of Barangay Tabacda, Tubo, Abra.

“Gunman” is the team leader of Squad Uno, Kilusang Larangang Gerilya (KLG) Montes that operates in the tri-boundaries of Abra, Mountain Province and Ilocos Sur.

“Batman” is the team leader of Squad Dos, KLG Montes.

What drove Batman to surrender was that the protracted people’s war for almost five decades now, with the future of thousands of young people sacrificed and wasted on that war, is now purposeless,” Osias said. “He said the government’s development projects are now gaining its momentum under the Duterte administration.”

Recently, the 81st IB also facilitated the surrender of five other rebels.

“Spartan Battalion will continue to advocate a peaceful resolution to the internal security problem. Despite the ongoing crisis in Mindanao, we will not cease our efforts in neutralizing the NPA rebels here in Northern Luzon in any way we could,” Osias added.

Osias said 10 former rebels who surrendered in 2016 were awarded with Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP) benefits amounting to P807,000 at the Ilocos Sur Provincial Capitol in Vigan City by Gov. Ryan Luis V. Singson.

Seventh Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen. Angelito de Leon said the snowballing of surrenderees was a result of the persistent efforts of the soldiers in Northern Luzon for a peaceful solution to the Communist insurgency.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/2-npa-fighters-surrender-in-ilocos-sur/

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.