by Gail Momblan/PNA
The broken promises of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army’s (CPP-NPA) drove 49 of its supporters at Sitio Tigpaka Daku, Barangay San Antonio in Cuartero, Capiz to abandon the group and reaffirm their allegiance to the government.
A total of 25 mass base supporters, 10 Sangay ng Partido sa Localidad (SPL), and 14 local militia members returned to government fold on March 13, said Lt. Col. Sisenado Magbalot Jr., commanding officer of the Philippine Army’s 61’st Infantry Battalion (61IB).
“They said they were deceived by the rebels and that they realized that they should be supporting the government,” Magbalot said in a media briefing on Thursday.
Militia members said the rebels failed to provide what they “promised” as no single electric post or road projects was done in the area, Magbalot added.
He stressed that the NPAs consider support from the local populace before entering an area.
“The Sangay ng Partido sa Localidad (SPL) were the ones to identify the problems in the village and the persons to contact,” he said.
Magbalot said those who were mostly recruited to become an SPL are residents who are “vocal to issues”.
Local militias, on the other hand, are considered “partly NPAs” as they are “NPAs by night and farmers by day”.
The SPL and the local militia who reaffirmed their commitment to the government will be entitled to the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).
The E-CLIP offers livelihood assistance, medical assistance, among others.
Magbalot said they assist mass base supporters to register to the programs under the Department of Labor and Employment.
Last February, 60 mass base supporters from the same municipality also took their oath of allegiance to the government.
Magbalot said the series of oath of allegiance in Panay is “a result of concerted efforts of our Community Support Program teams, local government units, other law enforcement agencies and various sectors working together towards attaining genuine peace and progress in the island”.
