Rebel yields after 11 years underground

 From Panay News (Feb 2, 2022): Rebel yields after 11 years underground (By Ruby P. Silubrico)

ILOILO City – A New People’s Army (NPA) rebel surrendered to the police of Bingawan town on Monday.

The 27-year-old Leonil Navigar of Barangay Poblacion, Bingawan also surrendered a .357 revolver with two bullets.

Joining the rebel movement at age 16, Navigar had a total of 11 years with the NPA. He led Squad 1 Igabon Platoon based in Tapaz, Capiz.

Mayor Mark Palabrica said Navigar was convinced to leave the NPA after knowing that the municipal government had been helping rebels surrender.

Navigar had other relatives in the underground movement, according to Palabrica, such as a brother-in-law.

The local government of Bingawan gave as assistance to Navigar one sack of rice and P10,000.

More benefits await the former rebel from the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program or E-CLIP of the national government.

“We are thankful that he finally realized nga wala sia sang maayo nga madangatan,” said Palabrica.

He urged other rebels to surrender, too.

“The government is willing to help them,” Palabrica said.

The NPA has three options – die in an encounter, be captured or surrender voluntarily, according to Major General Benedict Arevalo, commander of the Philippine Army’s 3rd infantry (Spearhead) Division based in Tapaz, Capiz.

Surrender is the best option, he stressed.

According to Arevalo, in Panay Island, the 3ID’s biggest accomplishment were the deaths of 16 rebels in an encounter on Dec. 1, 2021 in Barangay Alimodias, Miag-ao, Iloilo.

“Once again, I call the rebels to surrender kasi kahit kami ayaw namin ng away. Kung willing kayo magbalik-loob sa gobyerno, we will help you through the E-CLIP program,” Arevalo said.

https://www.panaynews.net/rebel-yields-after-11-years-underground/