Kalinaw News: Philippine Army Assist the Former Rebel in the delivery of her first born Child

Posted to Kalinaw News (Apr 3, 2022): Philippine Army Assist the Former Rebel in the delivery of her first born Child



CAMP DOWNES, Ormoc City, April 2, 2022 – The 802nd Infantry (Peerless) Brigade assisted former rebel, Rutchelle I. Ilad @ Jero/Liam during the delivery of her first-born child at St. Mary Birthing Center in Albuera, Leyte on April 3, 2022. It can be recalled that on January 13, 2022, @ Jero, who was already six (6)-month pregnant and her husband, Rene Boy T. Depaz @ Boyet/Yumi/Jade/Ike voluntarily surrendered to 93rd Infantry (Bantay Kapayapaan) Battalion, 8th Infantry (Stormtroopers) Division, Philippine Army at Brgy Kagbana, Buruaen, Leyte. Both @ Jero and @ Boyet are members of Platoon 1, Sub-Regional Committee-LEVOX (SRC-LEVOX), of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC).

According to the couple, they choose to surrender because they wanted to start a family and they could only do that if they will leave the armed group. Also, they believed that the financial and logistical support from their leadership as well as their mass base that would be used when @ Jero would need is no longer available. The populace in their former stronghold or mass base have already withdrawn their support to their terrorist organization after the series of immersion of the government troops in the barangays along with the different government agencies who are members of the Provincial and Municipal Task Forces ELCAC in the area. The implementation of the various TF ELCAC programs which displaced the armed groups in the barangays further aggravated the situation as they also continue to evade the government troops and keep on hiding in the mountains. With this, the husband @ Boyet contacted the Barangay officials of Brgy Kagbana, Burauen, Leyte who facilitated their surrender. Their apprehension of being tortured and/or killed once they surrender as one of the propaganda lines of the CPP-NPA-NDF to prevent surrender of member was eased when they saw on social media the “Voices from the Ground” segments of the 802nd Infantry Brigade’s Webinar and Kampanaryo programs, every Wednesday and Saturday, respectively whom former rebels are given time slots to deliver free and voluntary testimonies.

Currently, the couple is happy as they welcome a baby girl as a new member of their family. They expressed their thanks to 802nd Brigade and 93IB for the assistance of the medical personnel of the Brigade in the successful and normal delivery of their first child.

According to Colonel Noel A Vestuir, Commander, 802nd Infantry Brigade, “The Philippine Army will always treat the former rebels humanely and in accordance with the International Humanitarian Law if only they choose the path of peace and abandon their armed struggle. We believe that the couple are only victims of the CPP-NPA-NDF deceptions that led them to join the terrorist organization. With their surrender, we will not deny them of this opportunity to live peacefully and start a family of their own away from the exploitations of the CPP-NPA-NDF terrorists. Vestuir concluded.

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