Kalinaw News: 3 NPAs surrender, yield firearm to Army’s 102Bde in Zamboanga Peninsula

Posted to Kalinaw News (May 27, 2022): 3 NPAs surrender, yield firearm to Army’s 102Bde in Zamboanga Peninsula



IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay – Three Communist NPA Terrorists (CNT) surrendered to the Army’s 102nd Infantry (IGSOON) Brigade units in Zamboanga Peninsula.

One CNT member, identified as Elmer Taata alias Reden, was the lone remnant of the 7-man team engaged by the government troops last May 12, wherein two were killed, three surrendered on May 14, and another one on May 15.

Reden, a former squad leader of the defunct Guerilla Front BBC, sought help from a civilian in Barangay Tinaplan, Leon B Postigo, Zamboanga del Norte — whose identity is withheld for protection — and subsequently established contact last May 21 with the Alpha Company of the 1st Civil-Military Operations Battalion, an operationally controlled unit of the 102Bde.

“I barely survived and have not eaten for several days when I got separated from our group after the encounter,” said Reden in the local dialect.

According to Reden, he tried to evade the government forces but got tired and weary due to hunger. Reden also yielded one M16 assault rifle with magazines and ammunition.

Meanwhile, two former members of the defunct Guerilla Front Feliciano Alpha surrendered to 53rd Infantry (MATAPAT) Battalion on the same day in Zamboanga del Sur.

Mylene Ulanon alias An-an and Sonny Boy Malig alias Kaloy decided to return to the folds of law after months of hiding.

“We warmly welcome An-an and Kaloy’s decision to abandon the armed struggle, and through the Project Good Life, we wish to give them a fresh start as we help them become productive members of their communities,” said Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, 53IB commander.
Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Leonel Nicolas, 102Bde commander, commended the active participation of the local populace in the campaign to end the local communist armed conflict in the Zamboanga Peninsula.

“For the past years, we have observed the commendable change in the local populace’s perception, behavior, and actions in the nation’s fight against communist terrorism,” said Brig. Gen. Nicolas.

“We have indeed successfully transitioned from addressing the insurgency problem from a purely militaristic approach to a whole-of-nation approach, as seen by the active involvement not only by the different government agencies through the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (TF-ELCAC) but also the people,” Brig. Gen. Nicolas added.

The Army will assist the new friends rescued for enrollment in the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program. They will be receiving PhP65,000.00 immediate cash and livelihood assistance, education, training, psychosocial recovery, and others.

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