2 child warriors, 6 NPA fighters yield to military

Eight self-confessed fighters of the New People’s Army (NPA), including two minors, surrendered to the military in General Nakar, Quezon on Thursday in what was seen as another blow to the Communist group that is operating in the province.

Colonel Alex Rillera, commander of the 202nd Infantry Brigade which has operational jurisdiction over the area, said among the rebel-returnees was a 13-year-old boy, while the other one was aged 17 years old who was recruited when he was 15.

“They were forced by the rebels to join their ranks and were forbidden to leave a terrorist camp under threat of severe repercussions to their families,” Rillera said.

The two minors are the fourth and fifth child warriors to be rescued in less than two months, he noted.

They will be turned over to the local office of the Department of Social and Welfare Development (DSWD) for proper disposition and professional attention “so that the victims may quickly recover from the physical and psychological trauma that they suffered after being forced to carry arms despite their innocence.”

Meanwhile, the six other rebel-returnees turned over two shotguns, a caliber 45 and caliber 38 pistol to the security forces.

The names of the minors and the regular NPA fighters who surrendered were withheld to protect their privacy and ensure their security against possible NPA aggressive actions following their surrender and turnover of firearms, Rillera said.

Major General Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr., acting commander of the Southern Luzon Command (SoLCom), attributed the influx of surrenders to the wholeof-nation approach strategy which the government has adapted to end the local communist armed conflict across the country.

The former rebels will be processed for enrolment to the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program or E-CLIP where they are expected to receive financial and other forms of assistance amounting to around R700,000 each to help them start a normal life.

“Under E-CLIP, each former rebels is expected to receive the initial R65,000, representing the immediate and livelihood assistance from the government which are on top of the housing, employment, health care and scholarship benefits which they can avail after satisfying the requirements set forth by the program,” Burgos said.