LORETO, Agusan Del Sur –A total of 19 members of the New Peoples’ Army surrendered to the 60th Infantry Battalion amidst the on-going military operations of Joint Task Force Agila (10th Infantry Division, Philippine Army) against Weakened Guerilla Front 3 (WGF 3) and Pulang Bagani Command 4 (PBC 4) of the CPP-NPA’s Sub-regional Committee 4, Southern Mindanao Regional Command in the boundary areas of Loreto and La Paz towns in Agusan Sur as of Monday.
The continuing military operations, which started last January 25, already resulted to the killing of several CPP-NPA terrorists and the recovery of numerous firearms, improvised explosive devices, and subversive documents.
In response, the local government units of Loreto and La Paz both initiated emergency response activities in their respective conflict-affected areas and vulnerable adjacent communities.
Mayor Lorife “Aping” Otaza-Magadan of Loreto personally led the conduct of a series of community dialogues in the conflict-affected barangays of her municipality such Sitio Moto (BrgyPoblacion), Brgy Magaud, and Brgy Kasapa 1 over the weekend.
La Paz Mayor, Michael Lim, on the other hand spearheaded the conduct of their “Government-on-Wheels” program on Monday beginning in one of its farthest Barangay of Kasapa 2. Other priority, red-flagged areas are also lined up to receive said program.
Both local chief executives rallied on their constituents to support the government’s anti-insurgency initiatives while promising to fast-track the delivery of the much-neededprograms and projects in the barangay.
The 1001st Infantry Brigade and 60IB have also been conducting its own intensified information operations in tandem with the LGUs to “enlighten the masses who have been brainwashed and exploited through the deceitful CPP-NPA-NDF propaganda and infiltration tactics.”
As a result, a certain Ka “Lindo” of WGF 3 surrendered with his firearm to the Balik-Loob Assistance Center of 60IB in Loreto a few days earlier. Ka Lindo revealed to the troops how his group has been trying to evade the military for several months already while trying to focus in recovering their lost mass bases, and the recruitment and training of new members; most of whom are indigenous peoples living in very far-flung villages.
On Monday, 18 more members of WGF 3 also surrendered to 60IB during the conduct of La Paz LGU’s Government-on-Wheels program in Brgy. Kasapa 2. Bringing with them their firearms, the group’s leader, a certain Ka Billy, even volunteered to speak in front of his whole barangay during the community dialogue part of the program.
Later, Ka Billy and his 17 comrades had an executive dialogue with La Paz Mayor Michael Lim together with 1001st Infantry Brigade Deputy Commander Colonel Glenn Jun Calambuhay, and 60IB Commander Lt. Col. Ronaldo Sarmiento. There they raised their concerns to the local chief executive and the military commanders who, in turn, promised to facilitate their safe and proper reintegration to their communities.
Ka Billy said the reason they decided to surrender now is because they have already realized how impossible it is for the CPP-NPA to win the war. “We’ve been here long enough to know that the [CPP-NPA] will never be able to overthrow our real government in as much as they [CPP-NPA] will never be able to provide us the programs and projects that we need here in our barangay,” Ka Billy said in the vernacular.
Ka Billy and the others also supported Ka Lindo’s revelations. They further admitted that their ranks have been seriously demoralized by the continuous military operations which are now directly hitting their once secured guerilla bases.
With Executive Order No. 70 coming full-steam and local task forces to End the Local Armed Conflict (ELCAC) getting more and more aggressive in its campaign, Ka Billy tells authorities to expect more surrenders in the coming days.
In a statement, 1001st Infantry Brigade Commander, Colonel John Oberio thanked the rebel returnees for trusting the government and voluntarily submitting themselves to the authorities. “This will greatly help our campaign to immediately end the local communist armed conflict. Even better, we are ending it more peacefully than we expected with many members of the CPP-NPA voluntarily surrendering to us instead of insisting to fight bullet to bullet.”
Also addressing the rebel-returnees, Lt. Col. Sarmiento of 60IB added that, “Since the full force of the government and the support of our tribal leaders and most other sectors of society is already at our disposal, you can rest assured that your personal worries, the problems of your community, and the issues once used by your former communist overlords to discredit our efforts will be addressed and resolved sooner rather than later.”
The surrenderees will be enrolled to the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) where they will initially receive immediate cash assistance, livelihood assistance, and cash remuneration for their surrendered firearms.
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