Posted to Kalinaw News (May 5, 2021): NPA rebels in Bukidnon Face Inevitable Collapse as 17 Rebels Surrender
MANOLO FORTICH, Bukidnon – 17 NPA Terrorists simultaneously surrendered in the Balik-Loob sa Gobyerno program of the 1st Special Forces Battalion on May 4. Rebels from the Sub-Regional Command 4, North Central Mindanao Regional Committee finally waved the white flag instead of the red as a result of relentless pursuit by elite forces, fierce firefights, and deadly encounters every month since the beginning of 2021.
Lieutenant Colonel Vercisio G San Jose Jr, Battalion Commander of the 1st Special Forces Battalion, spearheaded the surrender of the 17 red fighters.”I encourage the NPA to abandon its twisted and violent communist ideology and peacefully surrender to avail of the socio-economic programs of the government. But for those NPA terrorists who refuse to heed the government’s call to lay down their arms, the 1st Special Forces Battalion will be relentless and aggressive in the fight to end the communist NPA violence. We will hunt them down until the last NPA rebel element is neutralized and prevented from waging violence against the innocent civilians and to the legitimate government,” Lieutenant San Jose said in the press conference after the ceremony.
Brigadier General Ferdinand T Barandon, Commander of the 403rd Infantry Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Philippine Army issued his statement- “The NPA rebels have finally reached their breaking point. They are hungry. Confused. Desperate. The cause they sacrificed their life for only brought meaningless bloodshed, intimidation of innocent civilians, and socio-economic despair to society. We are doing everything we can to protect these victims of abusive, hypocritical, dualistic leaders preaching the communist ideology. The formal surrender ceremony was vehemently supported by the Provincial Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC). Regional Director Mari-Flor A. Dollaga of DSWD Region 10 gave a heart-warming message: “Walang Iwanan. It matters not what social class we come from, what culture we were raised in, to which group we belong, or what Name we call God, every one of us deserves a life of peace, freedom, and democracy.”
DSWD Region 10 provided family food packs, Hygiene Kits, Kitchen Kits, Sleeping Kits, and substantial financial assistance for the Former Rebels. These socio-economic packages will help them start a peaceful chapter of their lives in mainstream society.
Balik-loob sa Gobyerno was graced by no less than the Honorable Governor of Bukidnon, Jose Ma. R. Zubiri Jr. “It is disheartening to see the great divisiveness caused by those who wish to tear us apart. Each time the NPA wage war, not only the soldiers pay the price. Every Filipino pays the price. Millions of taxpayers’ hard-earned pesos are wasted on these wars, taking away much-needed pesos from communities that need it most. We need to initiate change. Their surrender is a step closer to peace we all strive to achieve,” Governor Zubiri said in an interview with the media of Cagayan De Oro and Malaybalay City. Governor Zubiri gave his adamant support with sacks of rice and vehemently generous financial assistance to the Former Rebels as they live peacefully in the folds of the law.
Major General Andres C Centino, Commander 4th Infantry Division, Philippine Army stated “As liberators of the oppressed and the government’s legitimate champion of peace, security, and suppression of violence, we can only do so much. We need the Whole of the Nation Approach that enjoins every sector of society to unite and fight this injustice. It takes every one of our hands, our voices, and our hearts to defeat the communist insurgency.”
[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace in the Philippines This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Contact us: kalinawnews@cmoregiment.com]
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