BAGUIO CITY — The Philippine Army’s primary unit covering northern Luzon is calling on relatives of members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the upland region of Cordillera to convince their kin to return to the folds of the law.
The call came as an NPA leader, who has been operating in the boundaries of the provinces of Abra, Mountain Province, and Ilocos Sur, surrendered to the 503rd Infantry Brigade in Bontoc town, Mountain Province on Monday.
“Let us encourage our friends, relatives, and family members that are working, and/or in the Communist Terrorist Groups or the New People’s Army to surrender and avail of the benefits guaranteed under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP),” Captain Jefferson Somera, Public Affairs Office chief of the Philippine Army’s 5th Infantry Division (5ID), said in a phone interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Wednesday.
The 5ID is the Philippine Army’s primary unit covering Northern Luzon. The unit has expressed support for localized peace talks and is now asking the locals to support the initiative in their communities.
Alias “Sibat”, 37, was the Acting Squad Leader of the Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda (SYP), Kilusang Larangang Guerilla of the NPA in northern Philippines. He decided to go down the mountains and avail of the government’s assistance program for former rebels.
He turned over to authorities a Garand rifle with two clips and a few rounds of ammunition.
As of this posting, “Sibat” is still with the 54th Infantry Battalion in Bontoc, Mountain Province for debriefing and his surrendered firearms are in the battalion’s custody for safe keeping.
5ID Commander Brigadier General Perfecto Rimando praised “Sibat” for his decision to return to the mainstream of society.
“The experience of Sibat only proves that the communist ideology brings nothing good to its members and to the people. If the old guys like Sibat are now surrendering because they saw the futility of their cause, then we need to double our efforts to reach out to more CNT members, especially the younger ones,” Rimando said.
Somera also quoted 503Bde Commander BGen. Leopoldo Imbang Jr. as saying: “Sibat revealed that in his 20 years in the terrorist group, he saw no progression to their cause. He lost almost all of his life to a cause that never lifted their lives, his comrades’ lives, and those of the ordinary people.” (Liza Agoot/PNA)
