7 NPAs surrender to Angeles cops

From the Manila Standard (Oct 27, 2020): 7 NPAs surrender to Angeles cops (By Jess Malabanan)

Angeles City—A seven-man team of suspected communist guerillas were forced to surrender to police authorities, citing difficulties and tired of running away from military operations while in the underground, a top police officer said Monday.

Police Colonel Joyce Patrick Sangalang, director of the Angeles City Police Office (ACPO), said the group were members of the Milisyang Bayan under Kilusan Larangan Gerilya Front 1 operating in the tri-boundaries of Tarlac, Zambales and Pampanga provinces.

The surrenderees, whose names were not mentioned in the report, were subjected to tactical interrogation by the police shortly after they took their oath of allegiance held at the ACPO covered court at Barangay Sto. Domingo here. Jess Malabanan

“They surrendered without their firearms,” said Sangalang as he encouraged the former rebels to seriously consider the program being offered by the government for them under the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

Sangalang said reports noted some members of the Communist-lead New People’s Army (NPA) spent their rest and recreation in Angeles City being a part of the “White Area Committee” of the CPP-NPA.

He said the surrenderres are the same group operating in the upland of Barangay Sapang Bato in this city and nearby areas in Porac and Floridablanca towns in Pampanga and in Bamban, Capas municipalities in Tarlac province.

A filler was sent to ACPO for the formal surrender of the rebels, said Sangalang.

Last Friday, a member of indigenous people’s community in Angeles returned to the fold after he formally took his oath of allegiance to Central Luzon police director BGen. Valeriano Templo De Leon during Command Visit here at Camp Tomas Pepito, the home of ACPO.

De Leon said the surrender of communist guerillas only showed that the government is sincere in its quest for lasting peace not only in the countryside but in the entire country.

“This is also in line with the nine-point agenda of Police Chief PGen. Pancratius Cascolan which is the Bayanihan Spirit and the Community Service Oriented Policing for stronger partnership and active engagement with communities in ensuring peace and order and to sustain the gains against crime and violence with maximizing police visibility in areas,” he added.

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