DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 10, 2012) – Two communist rebels have surrendered Tuesday to a southern Philippine city mayor and claimed they wanted to return to the folds of the law and start a new life, security officials said.
Officials said the couple, Samuel Cañete, alias Ka Saming; and her partner, Genelyn Cataga, who is also known in the communist movement as Ka Nebs, surrendered to Mati City Mayor Michelle Rabat.
The duo was accompanied by Celestino Gasta, village chieftain of Taguibo, after a series of negotiations with the so-called “peace and development” team of the 28th Infantry Battalion led by Lt. Emil Leyba.
Cañete, who is a farmer, was recruited on April 2001; while Cataga joined the rebel movement on January 2007.
Rabat provided an undisclosed amount of money to the couple as financial assistance for their 10-month old baby, in addition to livelihood assistance from the government.
Army Capt. Jover Tutanes, of the 701st Infantry Brigade, accompanied the trio for a medical check-up at the Davao Oriental Provincial Hospital where Dr. Noreen Nasiad, provided prescription for Cañete’s ulcer.
“We are currently facilitating the completion of the requirements for their inclusion to the Comprehensive Local Integration Program under the program of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process and it may take days to complete the documentation,” Tutanes said.
20