Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija – The 48th Infantry (Guardians) Battalion attended the baptism of the son of a former New People’s Army (NPA) rebel, known as alias LJ at the Malolos Cathedral in Malolos, Bulacan on November 15, 2019.
Alias LJ, whose true name is Monica Rubio Santos, was only 15 years old when she was recruited to join the armed-struggle in 2016. She was first integrated to the NPA unit operating in Batangas.
In 2017 and 2018, she was integrated to ANAKBAYAN and KADAMAY in Bulacan, respectively. In December 2018, she was reintegrated to an NPA unit, this time operating in Bulacan.
On September 11, 2019, she decided to go back to mainstream society after the hardships she experienced inside the organization and for being pregnant.
The government assured alias LJ that she and her child will be protected. Making good on the promise, the Provincial Local Government of Bulacan through the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) decided to sponsor the expenses for the baptism of the child.
Present during the baptism, who also acted as god-parents to alias LJ’s child were Governor Daniel Fernando of Bulacan; Lieutenant Colonel Felix Emeterio M. Valdez, Commanding Officer of 48IB; Major Tony Pilas, Executive Officer of 48IB; Police Colonel Chito Bersaluna, Director, Provincial Police Office of Bulacan; Police Major Joy Placido, Chief, Municipal Police Office of Pandi, Bulacan; and, Miss Rowena J. Tiongson, Deparment Head of PSWDO.
Prior to the baptism, on November 11, alias LJ received an amount of Php 15,000.00 cash assistance from the Provincial Government of Pampanga when she, along with 44 other former rebels, were presented to Governor Dennis Pineda of Pampanga and Acting Regional Director Police Brigadier General Rhodel O. Sermonia of Police Regional Office 3.
“Being accepted by the community and now seeing her child welcomed to the Christian world must have been beyond what Alias LJ expected when she decided to surrender. But the provincial government of Pampanga has been generous, not only to her, but to the other former rebels as well, who all received cash assistance through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP). Definitely, the joint efforts of our local government units, the Army and the PNP can be relied upon to secure the best benefits, security and assistance to all who will denounce the armed struggle and go back to the folds of the government,” said Major General Lenard T. Agustin, the 7ID Commander who has been busy of late due to the series of surrenders of NPA members and supporters that has been happening in Nueva Ecija and adjacent provinces.
48IB enhances Army, PNP personnel capabilities
Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija – The 48th Infantry (GUARDIANS) Battalion
held a three-day Capacity Building Training for AFP and PNP personnel at The Orchid Gardens, Lazatin Boulevard in Barangay San Juan, San Fernando City, Pampanga on November 20, 2019.
Eighteen (18) personnel from the Philippine Army and 35 personnel from the Philippine National Police, particularly from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion of Region 3 (RMFB 3) and the Pampanga Provincial Police Office (PPO) attended the said training.
Engineer Joey Algy Canlas represented DILG Provincial Director Ms Myrvi Apostol-Fabia as the Guest of Honor of the program.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Felix Emeterio Valdez, Commanding Officer of the 48IB, the Capacity Building Training was designed to enhance their abilities of the participants to be knowledgeable and conversant in the following topics: knowing the enemy, youth and labor infiltration, methods of communist terrorist groups (CTG) recruitment, information domination, red and white areas orientation, the Community Support Program (CSP) and the Re-tooled Community Support Program (RCSP).
Subject matter experts from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) were invited and gave a lecture on Labor Union Processing and Establishment. Likewise, topics on Laws and Policies were handled by a subject matter expert from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
“To effectively perform the mandated tasks of the AFP and PNP, it is necessary to equip them necessary knowledge and skills to maximize their potentials. This training is a good opportunity for them to be honed and shaped accordingly,” said Major General Lenard T. Agustin, Commander of the 7th Infantry (Kaugnay) Division. “We need this to create a flexible force that are able to discuss insurgency-related matters in the implementation of the ‘whole-of-nation approach’ to defeat the CNT and its affiliated organizations,” he added.
Source: 7th Infantry Division
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