By Jennifer P. Rendon
And the exodus continues.
As it already predicted, the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) said the surrender of New People’s Army (NPA) members will snowball.
On Wednesday, PRO-6 confirmed that two more rebels surrendered in Iloilo province years after leaving the CPP-NPA.
Citing confidence in the government’s program to end local communist armed conflict, alias June and alias Kim surrendered to police authorities.
June, a member of the Igabon Platoon, Central Front Committee (CFC), yielded to Bingawan Municipal Police Station afternoon of June 1.
Just like other surrenderers, the 25-year-old June claimed he was deceived into joining the armed movement.
“There is no truth on their promise that they will fully support my family in times of need,” he said.
The last straw that compelled June to leave the group was when he asked support for the medical needs of his ill mother. He got none.
Although he formally surrendered on June 1, he left the movement on March 10, 2018 after joining on Nov. 11, 2012.
Before he got recruited at the age of 17, June said he was already a rebel sympathizer.
His aunt, who is an active NPA supporter in their Barangay, used him as a liaison until he decided to become a full time NPA member in 2012.
June claimed to have participated in six encounters from 2013 to 2015. These happened in barangays Abangay, Acuña, Aglinab, Natip, and Lahug, all in Tapaz, Capiz.
From 2019 to present, June said he hid from the NPA group.
Meanwhile, alias Kim surrendered to Leon Police Station 12 noon of June 2.
The 21-year-old Kim confessed to be a member of team 15 led by a certain Ka Romel, under Nonito Aguirre Command of Central Front Committee,
They operated in the mountainous areas of Lutod-lutod, President Roxas and Maayon in Capiz province.
Kim joined the underground movement March 16, 2018 due to the influence of his cousins who are all active CPP-NPA members.
However, after 9 months, Kim said he could not bear the extreme fatigue and hunger.
He tried to escape several times but he failed.
Kim was able to realize his plan on the night of Dec. 31, 2018.
He hid for more than two years until he decided to come out and surrender to authorities in order to clear his name.
As this developed, Brigadier General Rolando F Miranda pointed out that the continuous voluntary surrender of CPP-NPA members in the whole region manifests their belief on the stand of the government to end local communist armed conflict.
“Ito ang patunay na marami na ang naniniwala sa programa ng gobyerno na tapusin ang karahasan ng CPP-NPA,” Miranda said.
In talks with former rebels, Miranda said most of them intimated that a good number of their comrades also want to lay down their arms.
Most of them cited hardships during encounters and the realization that they were deceived in joining the group.
Miranda said they will recommend the surrenderers to avail of the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive and Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).
It is a government program that aims to help the rebel members of CPP-NPA-NDF and Militia ng Bayan to restore their allegiance to the Philippine government.
Through this program, they can be reintegrated back to the community, be with their families, and start over with their new, normal lives.
