Tuesday, December 10, 2019

53 NPA fighters yield in Zambo Norte localized peace deal

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 10, 2019): 53 NPA fighters yield in Zambo Norte localized peace deal (By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.)  December 10, 2019, 6:40 pm


LOCALIZED PEACE ENGAGEMENT. New People's Army surrenderers pledge allegiance to the flag during the 3rd and Final Localized Peace Engagement Tuesday (Dec. 10, 2019) in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte. The event marked the formal surrender of the former NPA rebels, who also signed a pledge of commitment to signify their sincerity to the peace engagement. (PNA photo by Teofilo P. Garcia Jr.)
DIPOLOG CITY, Zamboanga del Norte -- The formal surrender of 53 communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels here, followed by their oath of allegiance to the government, highlighted the "3rd and Final Localized Peace Engagement" on Tuesday with the local units of the communist rebel movement in this province.
The 3rd and Final Localized Peace Engagement is in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order 70, institutionalizing the "whole of nation approach" in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace, creating a national task force to end local communist armed conflict, and directing the adoption of a national peace framework.

Based on the government’s final list, the 53 NPA combatants formalized their surrender during the peace negotiation held at the provincial sports and convention center in this city.

The surrenderers turned over assorted high-powered firearms to Governor Roberto Uy, chairperson of the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC).

Uy also administered the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the former rebels.

Social Welfare Undersecretary for inclusive and sustainable peace, Rene Glen Paje, welcomed the decision of the former NPA rebels to surrender.

Paje urged the surrenderers to convince their former comrades to lay down their arms and join the government to work for development and progress in the country.

"Stop fighting for a lost ideology. There is nothing to gain if you will continue on your armed struggle," Paje said as he urged the remaining NPA rebels to surrender.

Ka Ai-Ai, one of the NPA surrenders, bared that she and her husband decided to surrender as life became more difficult in the mountains.

Ai-Ai and her husband said they spent years as "political guides" for the NPA.


The NPA surrenderers were welcomed by the members of the National Alliance for Democracy (NAD), a non-government organization that expressed support for the province's 3rd and Final Localized Peace Engagement.

Meanwhile, a group of indigenous people, mostly Subanen youths, staged a pro-government rally in front of the Provincial Sports and Convention Center while the peace engagement was being held inside the center.

The IP group urged the remaining NPA rebels to stop harassing the Subanens.

The 3rd and Final Localized Peace Engagement is anchored on the theme “Ang Simula ng Pagtatapos ng Armadong Pakikibaka.”

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1088419

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