IP chieftain urges children of slain NPA leader to yield

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 3, 2023): IP chieftain urges children of slain NPA leader to yield (By Alexander Lopez)

SLAIN NPA LEADER. Tribal leader Datu Rico Maca visits the wake of New People’s Army leader Manuel Anob in San Miguel, Surigao del Sur on Sunday (April 2, 2023). Maca asked the family to convince Anob's two children, who are still active in the communist movement, to turn themselves in. (Courtesy of Datu Rico Maca)

BUTUAN CITY — The Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of San Miguel, Surigao del Sur, is calling on the children of slain New People’s Army (NPA) ranking leader Manuel Anob to surrender and return to their families peacefully.

In a phone interview on Monday, Datu Rico Maca said Anob has two children who are still active in the NPA movement.

Maca visited the wake of Anob on Saturday in Barangay Caromata, San Miguel.

Anob was the secretary of the NPA's Sub-Regional Committee Westland and one of the leaders of the weakened Guerrilla Front 21 operating in the Caraga Region.

He was killed in an encounter with government forces on March 30 in Barangay San Juan, Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur.

NPA's Caraga units also lost ranking leaders – a regional finance officer and a medical staff – in an encounter on March 27 in Barangay San Juan, Bayugan City.

“There’s no more reason for these children to stay in a decaying movement. They need not suffer the fate of their father. It’s better for them to accept the offer of the government now and live peacefully with the families,” Maca said in the local dialect.

He talked to the family members during the wake and asked them to help the government convince Anob's children to turn themselves in.

Maca alleged that Anob was responsible for the killing and abduction of IP leaders and members in the past five years.

“Justice is already served to the IPs who were victimized by the useless revolution being waged by the communist NPA terrorist,” Maca said.

Meanwhile, the Army's 901st Infantry Brigade (901Bde) reported Monday the surrender of two NPA rebels to the Army in Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte on April 2.

The 901Bde identified the surrenderers as Roselyn Sampayan of the Sentro de Grabedad 16 and Juliet Sampaga of the Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda, both under the Guerrilla Front 16.

“The surrender of the two rebels was triggered by the loss of mass base support due to the relentless military operations and the surrender of the members of the mass organization members in the area,” the 901Bde said in a statement.

It added that the rebels also want to go home to their families whom they missed for years after joining the communist movement.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1198768