LEGAZPI CITY -- More rebels have responded to the call of the government for them to abandon the armed movement and its useless cause.
Six members of communist groups voluntarily surrendered to the 2nd Infantry Battalion on Thursday, Army Maj. Ricky Aguilar, the 9th Infantry Division spokesperson, said in a phone interview on Saturday.
The surrenderers were identified as two members of the Komiteng Seksyon sa Platoon 3 of Larangan 1, two members of Milisya ng Bayan, one Sangay ng Partido sa Lokalidad member who is also a supporter of Komiteng Probinsiya 4, and another co-supporter of the group.
"One caliber .357 revolver, four homemade shotgun(s), and an improvised explosive device were also turned over to the said unit," Aguilar said.
He said the six are now among the rebel returnees, who were encouraged to return to the fold of the law and live peacefully with their families instead of hiding in the mountains and allowing themselves to be used in the Communist Terrorist Group's (CTG's) illegal activities.
The Joint Task Force Bicolandia (JTFB), he said, has credited the relentless efforts of the government, especially the Army's Community Support Program (CSP), for these developments.
"Through CSP, residents in conflict-affected areas are enlightened about the true motive of the terrorists and are discouraged to support them but rather convince their relatives and friends who are members of CTG(s) to surrender," he said.
The JTFB has lauded the significant participation of former rebels in encouraging their former comrades to lay down their arms and avail of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) and other assistance made available by other government agencies through the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict 5 (RTF-ELCAC 5) or Task Force Katuninongan asin Kauswagan.
More than a hundred rebel returnees who surrendered in Masbate were given almost PHP2 million worth of financial assistance last month during the very first successful peace rally and service caravan in Cawayan town.
With the RTF-ELCAC, which was created through Executive Order 70 of the Duterte administration, programs of different government agencies are synchronized to bring efficient services to the people and put an end to the five-decade insurgency.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1086847
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