7 Milisyang Bayan members with firearms yield to the army in Ilocos

From the Philippine Information Agency (Aug 25, 2020): 7 Milisyang Bayan members with firearms yield to the army in Ilocos (By Freddie G. Lazaro)

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union, Aug. 23 (PIA) - - At least seven members of the Milisyang Bayan (MB) surrendered voluntarily last week with their firearms to the soldiers belonging to the army’s 81st Infantry Battalion (81IB) based in Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur.

The said surrenderees were reportedly supporting the Komiteng Larangang Gerilya - South Ilocos Sur (KLG-SIS) of the Ilocos Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC) of the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).

Army Lieutenant Colonel Rodrigo A. Mariñas Jr., the commander of the army’s 81IB, confirmed on Sunday the surrender of the seven MB members but real identities were withheld for security reasons.

On August 21, 2020, according to Mariñas, four MB members voluntarily surrendered to his troops belonging to the Community Support Program (CSP) - Red Area Team operating in the second district of Ilocos Sur.

The MB members surrendered with them the three M16 rifles, one rifle grenade, eight long aluminum magazines, one long plastic magazine, four short aluminum magazines, 248 assorted bullets, and four Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) with two detonating switches, one 9 volts-small battery, instruction manual and one piece of electrical tape.

On August 20, 2020, the other three MB members voluntarily yielded to the army’s CSP with their three M16 rifles with two long aluminum magazines, one short magazine, and 67 bullets.

According to Mariñas, the MB members are the geographical supporters of the Communist Terrorists Group (CTG) in a particular area of their operations.

“The increasing numbers of surrendering NPA supporters is indeed a good indicator that the people are recognizing that supporting the CTG will not bring good to them but rather gives a life full of miseries, lies, and deception,” said Mariñas.

He said the government will continue to welcome anybody, whether supporters or regular members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) - NPA if they sincerely turn their back to atrocities and return back to the mainstream of the society to embrace peace and reconciliation.

“It is now high time to denounce the CPP-NPA and remove their flawed influence among our people and communities,” said Mariñas.

According to the MB surrenderees, the firearms and war materials they surrendered were issued to them by the following: Avelino Cruz Jr. (TN) AKA Junel, the Platun Lider of Platun North, KLG SIS, ICRC; Jerry Loreto (TN) AKA Dindo, Platun Lider of Platun South, KLG SIS, ICRC; late “Ka Guyo, the former Secretary KLG SIS, ICRC who was killed while joint elements of the police and army troopers were serving the Warrant of Arrests in Brgy Namatican, Sta Lucia, Ilocos Sur sometime in February 2020; and AKA NERO, the leader of the KLG SIS, ICRC.

The surrenderees revealed that since these firearms and explosives are in their custody, they have been living in fear with tremendous pressure.

They hide these firearms as the CTGs indoctrinated them that if the police or the army would find it out, they will be out-rightly shot or killed. However, according to them, this was a brazen lie as they were peacefully welcomed by the army when they voluntarily surrendered with their firearms.

They also claimed that they were deceived of believing in the lies that the CTGs indoctrinated to them after seeing Former Rebels (FRs) living peacefully, with the support of the government through its various programs, which includes the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).

According to them, supporting the CPP-NPA group is a big mistake because it would never prevail against the government.

The MB surrenderees encouraged other supporters to immediately stop supporting the CPP-NPA for the sake of the good future of their children and for achieving lasting peace and development.

Meanwhile, Ilocos Sur Governor Ryan Luis V. Singson called on the other supporters and the remnants of the KLG-SIS to surrender, and to join him in making the province a peaceful and best economically viable place to live-in. (JCR/FGL, PIA 1)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1051070