NPA leader, 2 sons yield in NegOr due to 'false promises'
By Mary Judaline Partlow / Philippine News Agency
DUMAGUETE CITY – A ranking leader of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in Negros Oriental and his two sons have voluntarily surrendered to the Philippine Army (PA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental over the weekend.
A media release from the Army on Monday said the three, whose real names were withheld for security reasons, were identified as alias Kol/Reynald, team leader of the dismantled South East Front of the Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, Cebu, Bohol, and Siquijor, and his two sons, alias Emman, 23, and alias Junie, 20, both members of the Yunit Militia of the NPA.
The three surrendered on Sunday to the 11th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army and to the local town police at Sitio Nahayag, Barangay Talalak.
They also turned over an M-14 rifle with a defaced serial number and subversive documents.
The three said they surrendered due to “lack of support from their leaders” and “false promises” made to them, according to the media release.
Lt. Col. Roderick R. Salayo, 11th IB battalion commanding officer, said “we will never be tired of supplementing the needs of the surrenderers to restore their allegiance to the government”.
For his part, Brig. Gen. Leonardo Peña, 302nd Infantry Brigade commander, thanked the various government agencies of the provincial and municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (TF-ELCAC) for their “relentless efforts” in the fight against the decades-long insurgency.
The former rebels are now in the custody of the military and will be turned over to the police for proper disposition.
They will be enrolled in the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program to be able to avail of various assistance from the government.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA)