By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – Three alleged high-ranking members of the New People’s Army (NPA), including a couple voluntarily surrendered to the local Task Force to End Local Communist and Armed Conflict (ELCAC) in Escalante City, Negros Occidental, and the Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) last Tuesday.
The rebel returnees, whose identities were withheld for security reasons, were a squad leader, a squad educational staff, and a finance officer of the North Negros Front (NNF), according to the Army.
It can be recalled that the NNF was officially declared dismantled by the Army sometime in the first quarter of 2021.
The former rebels, including the couple’s three-month old daughter met Major General Benedict Arevalo, commander of 3rd Infantry Division (ID), during his visit at the 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde) headquarters in Barangay Minoyan, Murcia town.
Brigadier General Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of 303rd IBde, said that the rebel returnees also turned over two .45 caliber firearms.
Meanwhile, Arevalo lauded the bravery and courage of the former rebels, saying that returning to the folds of the law is a clear manifestation of their trust in the local government of Escalante City and the Army in Negros.
“This is one of the results of our continuing campaign to negate the insurgency problem that has caused the suffering of the Negrenses,” Arevalo said.
For his part, Lieutenant Colonel J-Jay Javines, 79th IB commander, said the cooperation of the people and the support of different stakeholders have been a great factor in enlightening many rebels who were victims of lies and deception.
“We are hoping that more will surrender in the interest of reconciliation and peace,” he added.
The rebel returnees are now subjected to custodial debriefing and assessment for their enrollment to the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).
