‘103 NPA allies pledge support for gov’t’

From the Visayan Daily Star (Aug 28): ‘103 NPA allies pledge support for gov’t’

The 62nd Infantry Battalion reported yesterday that 103 sympathizers and supporters of the New People’s Army have withdrawn their support to the communist rebels, and pledged their allegiance to the government.

Lt. Col. Egberto Dacoscos, 62IB commander, said that the 103 rebel supporters formalized the withdrawal of their support to the terrorist organization by taking their oath of allegiance to the government in a ceremony held Saturday at the municipal gym of Mabinay town in Negros Oriental.

The former rebel supporters and sympathizers are residents of barangays Bagitc and Luyang in Mabinay, Negros Oriental, where the CPP-NPA on May 21 burned heavy equipment of a private firm contracted by the government to construct farm to market roads in those two barangays.

Dacoscos said the atrocities triggered former rebel supporters in those two barangays, who are also beneficiaries of the farm to market road projects, to withdraw their support from the terrorist organization.

He lauded their courage in standing up against the terrorist organization they had supported before.

Early this month, 28 supporters of the CPP-NPA in the hinterlands of Escalante and Himamaylan cities, also pledged their allegiance to the government.

Dacoscos said the surrender of NPA supporters and sympathizers was a result of the close coordination and collaboration among the security sector, government agencies, local government units and the general public.

Col. Alberto Desoyo, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said that they have started to realize the true nature and objective of the armed group, which is to sow terror and hinder progress.

The activity was also attended by Mabinay Mayor Ernie Uy, Board Member Achilles Arturo Umbac, who represented Govenor Roel Degamo, among other security and barangay officials of the town.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2018/August/28/topstory11.htm