NPA unit good as gone with surrender of 9 leaders: Eastmincom

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 14, 2021): NPA unit good as gone with surrender of 9 leaders: Eastmincom



SEIZED. Some of the firearms seized by the military from nine New People’s Army rebels who surrendered in Lupon, Davao Oriental on Nov. 10 and 12, 2021. The Eastern Mindanao Command leadership said they belonged to the New People’s Army Guerrilla Front 18, Sub-Regional Committee-2, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee. (Contributed photo)

Another communist terrorist group (CTG) unit is on the brink of collapse as a result of Eastern Mindanao Command’s (Eastmincom) relentless campaign to weed out enemies of the state.

A total of 9 more New People’s Army (NPA) leaders and members surrendered in Lupon, Davao Oriental in a span of three days, according to a news release on Sunday.

Eastmincom identified the members of the NPA Guerrilla Front 18, Sub-Regional Committee-2, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (GF18, SRC-2, SMRC) who surrendered on Friday as Gilberto Garcia Colita (alias Johnny), commanding officer; Richard Basug Jadan (alias Atog); Jhon Cloyd Flores Colita (alias Jan-Jan); Charlie Dave Mangasdang Pichon (alias Potot); David Paraiso Pichon (alias David); Mike Mangasdang Pichon (alias Mike); and couriers Reynaldo Paraiso Pichon (alias Oka) and Orlando Pandalili Goles (alias Soysoy).

They yielded to the combined forces of the 701st Infantry Brigade (701st IBde), intelligence units, and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Kilometer 26, Barangay Maragatas.

They also gave up their firearms, composed of a K-3 machine gun, an AK47 rifle, three M16 rifles, an M203 grenade launcher, and an anti-personnel mine.

Another NPA leader who belonged to the same guerrilla unit, identified as Jason Bansag Eliseo (alias Rex), vice commanding officer, surrendered on Nov. 10 during a joint operation by the 701st IBde, intelligence units, and the police at Sitio Lunod, Barangay Don Mariano Marcos.

Eliseo is the party husband of Jocy Villaruel Papasin (alias Domai), the pregnant front secretary of Guerrilla Front 18, Sub-Regional Committee 2, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee who surrendered to the troops of 66th Infantry Brigade on Nov. 7 in order to give her child a better life.

Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol commended government forces for their hard work and the fruit of their focused offensives against the CTG.

The Eastmincom commander assessed that GF18 could not survive due to the loss of most of its key leaders and members.

“The way we see it, we can already consider GF18 as dismantled since there is no way it could continue to operate considering the major blows it has suffered as a result of our relentless military operations,” Almerol stressed.

Surrender now

He urged the remaining CTG members “to come forward and lay down your arms”.

“Now is the time to make peace with the government and embrace its offer of a comfortable life through the Enhanced Comprehensive Integration Program (ECLIP),” Almerol said.

He said they will always welcome anybody wanting to embrace a new life and will ensure that they will get all the assistance they need through ECLIP.

He also asked the locals to continue supporting peace and development projects of the Barangay Development Program by recounting the positive impact on their communities.

"Their cooperation will gain the political support needed to continue government programs that will benefit the people, especially those who are living in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas," Almerol said.

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

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1159731