Mindanaotoday.com | More NPA rebels in NorMin expected to yield: PNP-10
By: Jigger Jerusalem
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – More members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Northern Mindanao are expected to return to the fold of the law as more than a dozen persons affiliated with the armed revolutionary group have surrendered to the police regional office-10 recently, the PRO-10 leadership said Monday, July 18.
Following the surrender of 14 members of the NPA’s Militia ng Bayan on Friday, July 15, PRO-10 said they expect other insurgents to yield to police authorities in the coming days.
“There are feelers. We want to pursue these feelers as we see these as an opportunity. So, if there is a chance to accommodate them, we can realign our effort, instead of fighting, we can exert our effort on peace, livelihood and development,” said Brig. Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr., PRO-10 regional director.
Those who surrendered last week were identified by their aliases: Marvin, Jessie, Reborn, Solong, Alysa, Dina, Gabriel, Chris, Nonon, Nanay, Dona, Dayang, Kulot, and Aysa.
Acorda said the surrenderers belonged to the NPA’s Northern Central Regional Committee operating in eastern and western Bukidnon particularly in the areas of Malaybalay City, Maramag, Quezon, and Valencia City.
“They are non-combatant and, accordingly, most of them were recruited at such a young age,” he said.
“They had finally come to realize that the right path to take is towards the folds of the government and the right way to live is to be with the community and to be united with their families,” he added.
Acorda said that PRO-10 will continue and intensify its campaign against terrorism to end local insurgency.
“Police Regional Office 10 is in full support of our government’s peaceful and non-violent campaign. Kami rin po, we opt to choose a diplomatic way and peaceful approach in ending local armed conflict,” he said.
The regional director added PRO-10 encourages the community to continuously support the government’s whole of nation approach to end local communist armed conflict and also encourages those rebels to shift their support to the government side.
The surrenders were presented during a press briefing at the PRO-10 headquarters at Camp 1Lt. Vicente Alagar in Barangay Lapasan, this city, on July 15.
Manuel Ordoña, regional director of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, said that “this accomplishment was a result of a collaborative efforts of all members of the clusters of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict or RTF-ELCAC.”
For her part, Charmaine Tadlas, capablitiy building unit head of the Department of Social Welfare and Development-10, said that the former rebels will be provided with assistance such as the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program where their children can benefit from the health and educational grants, as well as financial, educational and medical assistance, and livelihood program.
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