Another NPA leader, 12 others surrender
THIRTEEN former New People’s Army (NPA) supporters and vice commander of their guerilla front cut their ties with the terrorist group and signified their support to the government.
Captain Jerry Lamosao, 10th Infantry Division (ID) Division Public Affairs Officer (DPAO) chief, said that the 13 NPA terrorists’ supporters and one vice commander surrendered without firearms to the 71st Infantry Battalion (IB) at H71IB Purok 8, Brgy Nueva Visayas, Mawab, Compostela Valley Province.
The surrenderers were all members of solid mass organization identified as Gilberto D. Bustaliño alias Iping, Simon G. Gilo alias Mon, Reel B. Balbin alias Onglong, Ellan B. Oso alias Ellan, Elmer B Bongcales alias Elmer, Elmer L. Duterte alias Dodong, Alfredo O. Dosdos alias Fredo.
He further identified others as Ramil H. Balbin alias Mil, Allan M. Costelo alias Allan, Hilario P. Inte alias Larry, Junre M. Bongcales alias Jun, John Ryan Babo alias Chong and Geraldo C. Baro alias Arnold, former vice commander of Samahang Yunit Propaganda (SYP), Guerilla Front (GF27).
“The personalities signified their intentions to embrace peace in their lives,” Lamosao said.
Commanding officer of Army’s 71st Infantry Kaibigan Battalion Lieutenant Colonel Esteyven E. Ducusin lauded this development, crediting the support to the government troopers in the area expressed by the tribal leaders and local officials to entice these NPA supporters to surrender.
“We are very thankful to the support we are getting from the barangay officials and IP leaders in our area of operations who are now our partner in facilitating the NPA to surrender,” Ducusin said.
He said the string of surrenderers manifests the result of continuous effort done by the government on its goal to flush out communist movement who wants to overthrow the democratic government.
He added that uniformed personnel are ready to protect the people against threats of terrorism posed by the left groups.
“The significant number of NPAs who surrendered every day is a manifestation that the communist terrorist organization is irrelevant and people are tired of supporting them. Likewise, we continue our focused military operation to hunt down those communist terrorist who continue their violent acts against our constituents,” Ducusin added.