Kalinaw News: High Ranking CTG Leader with party wife and NPA member nephew yield to the government troops with high-powered firearms; arms cache discovered in Isabela

From the Kalinaw News Website (Jul 14, 2021): High Ranking CTG Leader with party wife and NPA member nephew yield to the government troops with high-powered firearms; arms cache discovered in Isabela

CAMP MELCHOR F DELA CRUZ, Upi, Gamu, Isabela- A high-ranking Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) Leader together with his party wife and his CNT member nephew, of the Komiteng Rehiyon-Cagayan Valley (KR-CV) voluntarily returned to the folds of the law through the troops of 95th Infantry Battalion under 502nd Infantry Brigade in Palanan, Isabela on July 12, 2021.

The surrenderees were identified as Alias Badi, 49 years old, a resident of Barangay Puro, Legazpi City, Albay, Commanding Officer of the Regional Ordnance Group of the Regional Operations Command (ROC), and the other two are members of squad tres of the Regional Sentro De Gravidad identified as Alias Rowena, 36 years old, resident of Barangay Alomanay, Palanan, Isabela, logistics officer and Alias Erick, the nephew of Alias Badi, also a resident of Barangay Puro, Legazpi, Albay.

According to Alias Badi, he was forced in 1998 to join the terrorist group because he was threatened by a cadre in Kastila, Sorsogon. In 2002, he was ordered to go to Camalig, Albay to report to Alias Yulo, the Secretary/Political Officer of Larangan ng Albay before he was deployed in the province of Isabela together with a certain Alias Diobe and Alias Jake in that same year. He joined the 1st platoon of the recently dismantled Central Front Committee in Central Isabela. In 2015, he went to Sagada, Mt. Province together with his comrades and were trained in making explosives. After that, Alias Badi went back to Digusi Complex, San Mariano, Isabela to teach a platoon in making Anti-Personnel Mines (APMs). In 2017, he went in the vicinity of Nagsabaran, Divisoria of San Mariano along the Kabuluan River together with Alias Papi (already surrendered to 95IB) to train their members in making explosives. And in 2018, he also went to Baggao, Cagayan to teach the fabrication and employment of APMs against government forces.

Alias Rowena on the other hand was recruited by his party husband-Alias Badi to join the terrorist group in San Mariano, Isabela in 2018. In 2019, she was trained in Individual Combat Training (ICT) in Barangay Dimasalansan, Divilacan, Isabela and in 2020 she was also trained in Batayang Kursong Politiko-Militar in Barangay Dibulos, Divilacan, Isabela. She recently gave birth last June of 2021.

In 2002, Alias Erick was deceived to join the terrorist group in Barangay Mariawa, Legazpi, Albay when he was only 14 years old. He is one of the so many cases of Child Warrior in the terrorist CPP-NPA. In 2006, he became a regular armed member of the terrorist group Teritorio Legazpi. He went to the Province of Cagayan to attend the wedding of Alias Badi and Alias Rowena in 2019 and later became a member of the RSDG, KR-CV.

During their surrender, they brought with them three (3) M16 rifles, two (2) bandoliers, three (3) cellphones, medical paraphernalia, and subversive documents with high intelligence value. They revealed valuable information to the joint troops of 95th, 98th Infantry Battalions, and local PNP that resulted in the discovery of arms cache containing 68 pieces of APMs, four detonating cords with 600 meters each, seven blasting machines, nine remote controls, two (2) car remote controls, Improvised Explosive Device paraphernalia, one portable power generator, one (1) rifle scope, one (1) hard drive, one (1) printer and personal belongings at Sitio Dadugen, Barangay Dibuluan, San Mariano on July 13, 2021.

According to the surrenderees, they decided to yield to the government troops due to the deteriorating situation inside the Communist Terrorist Group. According to Alias Badi, since the death of their Commander Alias Yuni, the group is in chaos and in the pit of its downfall. The death of their leader is their eye-opener that the armed struggle against the government is one of the reasons of poverty as they have acknowledged that the terrorist CPP-NPA hinders the development in communities especially in far-flung areas.

LtC Carlos B Sangdaan Jr., Battalion Commander of 95IB stressed the continuous human rights violations committed by the terrorist CPP-NPA. “They continue to recruit minors and forced individuals to join their terrorist organization. They are also violators of International Humanitarian Law by continuously fabricating and using IEDs and APMs.”

BGen Danilo D Benavides PA, Commander of 502nd Infantry Brigade, lauded the efforts of the 95IB, 98IB, and the Isabela Police Provincial Office for their sustained efforts to pursue peace in the Province of Isabela. He also thanked the surrenderees for their renewed trust in the government, while assuring them that they will be protected and be given benefits and livelihood programs under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E- CLIP) so they can smoothly start their life anew.

Further, MGen Laurence E Mina PA, Commander of 5th Infantry Division, Philippine Army conveyed his appreciation to the three CNT personalities who surrendered. “The end of terrorist CPP-NPA in Cagayan Valley and Cordillera Regions is nearing. This can be gauged in the rate of surrender of terrorist CPP-NPA’s leaders, members and supporters. We have also managed to continuously decreased their firepower. Most importantly, the people in the communities are now aware of the deception and lies of the terrorist CPP-NPA. Our determination to make Cagayan Valley and Cordillera as insurgency cleared regions is closer to reality. I am appealing once more to the remaining members of the terrorist CPP-NPA to return to the folds of the law and join hands with the government to achieve genuine peace and prosperity for all.”

[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]

https://www.kalinawnews.com/high-ranking-ctg-leader-with-party-wife-and-npa-member-nephew-yield-to-the-government-troops-with-high-powered-firearms-arms-cache-discovered-in-isabela/