Gov't sincerity prompts surrender of NPA couple in Agusan Sur

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 21, 2021): Gov't sincerity prompts surrender of NPA couple in Agusan Sur (By Alexander Lopez)

NEW LIFE. An NPA couple, identified only through their aliases “Amad/Saijie”, 34 (left), and “Nam/Xian”, 33, of the New People’s Army’s North Central Mindanao Regional Committee, have finally abandoned their communist ideology and yielded to the Agusan del Sur Police on Wednesday (Oct. 20, 2021). The couple decided to renew their lives after seeing the government’s sincerity in providing opportunities to former rebels. (Photo courtesy of PRO-13)

After years of involvement in different terroristic activities of the communist New People’s Army (NPA), a couple finally surrendered to police authorities in Agusan del Sur to renew their lives.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr., director of Police Regional Office 13 (Caraga), commended the Agusan del Sur Police Provincial Office (ADSPPO) for its efforts to reach out to the NPA couple that led to their surrender.

“The intelligence operatives of ADSPPO had been in constant negotiation with the two for a month until they both decided to finally lay down their arm(s) and surrender to the government,” he said.

The couple formally turned themselves in to the provincial police on Wednesday afternoon.

Caramat identified the NPA couple through their aliases “Amad/Saijie”, 34, and “Nam/Xian”, 33, who belonged to the NPA’s North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC).

The couple also handed over to authorities an M-16 rifle during their surrender.

Amad is the leader of Squad 1 of Sentro De Grabidad Compaq of the NCMRC while Nam is the former secretary and political officer of the Guerilla Front 4A (GF-4A), Sub Regional Command 3 (SRC-3) of the NCMRC.

“Amad has been in the communist movement from 2004 until June 2021, while Nam served as top leader of GF-41, SRC-3 from 2015 until 2018,” Caramat said.

The GF-4A is now considered a dismantled front after its top leaders and about 15 other guerrillas were killed in an encounter with government troops in the boundary of Agusan del Norte and Misamis Oriental in May 2020.

Several months after the encounter, the underground support groups of GF-4A in remote villages of the two provinces also cut their ties with the NPA and pledged allegiance to the government.

“The couple disclosed that they have seen the sincerity in the efforts of the police and the government in helping those who have been deceived by the terrorist group to start anew and be reintegrated with the mainstream society,” Caramat said.

In the same statement, he urged the remaining NPA rebels in the Caraga region to surrender peacefully and avail of the livelihood support being offered by the government through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).

The E-CLIP is a government program targeting to help the rebel members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) - NPA - National Democratic Front (NDF) restore their wasted lives fighting for a futile cause and become productive citizens of their community again.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

The NDF has been formally designated as a terrorist organization by the Anti-Terrorism Council on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and separate part” of the CPP-NPA created in April 1973.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1157366