SURRENDERED FIREARMS. Lt. Col. Emelito Thaddeus Logan (right), commanding officer of the Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (79IB), receives the firearms surrendered by former Yunit Militia members in a ceremony held at their headquarters in Sagay City on Sunday (March 31, 2019). The Yunit Militia is the local armed component of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army. (Photo courtesy of 79IB, Philippine Army)
A total of 27 insurgents and supporters of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) from Barangay Paitan in Escalante City, Negros Occidental surrendered to the military and police authorities on Sunday.
The group that included 17 members of Yunit Militia and 10 rebel sympathizers, yielded 13 firearms in a ceremony held at the headquarters of the 79th Infantry Battalion (79IB) in Barangay Bato, Sagay City.
Lt. Col. Emelito Thaddeus Logan, commanding officer of the 79IB, said the surrender was a result of localized peace talks initiated by government forces in insurgency-affected areas of northern Negros.
“The most significant of the Yunit Militia's turnout is the role of barangay officials who influenced them to be on the government side and urged them to surrender. We will continue to implement peace talks and negotiations together with the local officials as a way to address the insurgency problem,” Logan added.
The 27 surrenderers turned over their firearms to the officials of the Army’s 79IB and the Philippine National Police’s 6th Special Action Battalion (SAB)-Special Action Force (SAF) and 1st Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Force Company (NOCPMFC).
The weapons included a KG 9 automatic pistol with 12 pieces of ammunition, a .22-caliber magnum revolver, eight .38-caliber revolvers with 12 live bullets, and three .357-caliber revolvers.
According to the military, the Yunit Militia is the local armed component of the CPP-NPA and its political wing, the National Democratic Front (NDF), utilized as immediate reinforcement in conducting tactical offensives. Equipped with low-powered firearms, its members are also tasked to monitor the movements and activities of the government forces.
During the ceremony, the former rebels pledged loyalty to the government through an oath of allegiance before Provincial Director Carmelo Orbista of the Department of the Interior and Local Government-Negros Occidental.
Officers of their newly-organized association, Masaligan Farmers Association sa Barangay Paitan, were sworn in by village chief Richardy Pios.
Lt. Col. Mario Baquiran, commander of 1st NOCPMFC, told the former rebels and supporters that the government forces appreciate their surrender and cooperation.
“Your realization of just being used and fooled by the communist organizers and recruiters and your decision to be on the side of the government is the key to achieve lasting peace and development,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office headed by Elena Serenias conducted a profiling of the surrenderers before they could avail of benefits from the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).
A total of 27 insurgents and supporters of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) from Barangay Paitan in Escalante City, Negros Occidental surrendered to the military and police authorities on Sunday.
The group that included 17 members of Yunit Militia and 10 rebel sympathizers, yielded 13 firearms in a ceremony held at the headquarters of the 79th Infantry Battalion (79IB) in Barangay Bato, Sagay City.
Lt. Col. Emelito Thaddeus Logan, commanding officer of the 79IB, said the surrender was a result of localized peace talks initiated by government forces in insurgency-affected areas of northern Negros.
“The most significant of the Yunit Militia's turnout is the role of barangay officials who influenced them to be on the government side and urged them to surrender. We will continue to implement peace talks and negotiations together with the local officials as a way to address the insurgency problem,” Logan added.
The 27 surrenderers turned over their firearms to the officials of the Army’s 79IB and the Philippine National Police’s 6th Special Action Battalion (SAB)-Special Action Force (SAF) and 1st Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Force Company (NOCPMFC).
The weapons included a KG 9 automatic pistol with 12 pieces of ammunition, a .22-caliber magnum revolver, eight .38-caliber revolvers with 12 live bullets, and three .357-caliber revolvers.
According to the military, the Yunit Militia is the local armed component of the CPP-NPA and its political wing, the National Democratic Front (NDF), utilized as immediate reinforcement in conducting tactical offensives. Equipped with low-powered firearms, its members are also tasked to monitor the movements and activities of the government forces.
During the ceremony, the former rebels pledged loyalty to the government through an oath of allegiance before Provincial Director Carmelo Orbista of the Department of the Interior and Local Government-Negros Occidental.
Officers of their newly-organized association, Masaligan Farmers Association sa Barangay Paitan, were sworn in by village chief Richardy Pios.
Lt. Col. Mario Baquiran, commander of 1st NOCPMFC, told the former rebels and supporters that the government forces appreciate their surrender and cooperation.
“Your realization of just being used and fooled by the communist organizers and recruiters and your decision to be on the side of the government is the key to achieve lasting peace and development,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office headed by Elena Serenias conducted a profiling of the surrenderers before they could avail of benefits from the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).
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