Lt. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, Eastern Mindanao Command Chief
DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 12, 2014) – Filipino security officials on Sunday announced the surrender of 9 communist rebels, including a leader and his deputy in the southern Philippines.
Officials said the rebels also yielded automatic weapons when they surrendered to the army in the provinces of Davao del Sur and South Cotabato.
Capt. Alberto Caber, a spokesman for the Eastern Mindanao Command, said three rebels – Charlie Pasco, Jeffrey Pasco and Guiller Ombaoy – surrendered to the 39th Infantry Battalion at Sitio Balagonon in the village Managa in Davao del Sur’s Bansalan town.
“Maging ang mga automatic rifles na ibinigay sa kanila ng NPA ay isinuko rin ng mga rebelde sa militar. Inamin ng tatlo na ang matinding kahirapan ng buhay sa bundok ang siyang dahilan kung bakit silang napilitang sumuko sa pamahalaan. Nahimok sila ng NPA na sumanib sa kilusan kapalit ng kung anu-anong pangako, ngunit lahat umano ito ay pawang mga pang-akit lamang upang makakuha ng recruit,” (They even surrendered their automatic rifles provided them by the NPA. They admitted that extreme hardship in the mountain forced them to eventually yield.) Caber told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
Caber said 6 more rebels also surrendered to the 27th Infantry Battalion in the village of Tasiman in South Cotabato’s Lake Sebu. Among those who yielded were a rebel leader Rudy Sawang and his deputy Anita Dalugan. The four others have been identified as
John Tomo, Lemuel Nalon, Luna Kaong and Dina Daludo.
“Sila ang nasa likod ng maraming pagtatag ng mga kilusan sa South Cotabato at kabilang sa mga nagre-recruit sa mga magsasaka at sibilyan, gayun rin sa mga kabataan na sumanib sa NPA,” (They were involved in propaganda movement and recruitmen of farmers and civilians, and even the youth.) he said.
Those who surrendered are being interrogated by the army, according to Caber.
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, chief of the Eastern Mindanao Command, praised the surrender of the rebels. He also praised the army units which played a key role in the surrender of the rebels.
“The dedication and discipline shown by the (army’s) peace and development teams responsible in the surrender of the rebels is a big accomplishment itself because this clearly shows the trust and confidence of the community to our Bayanihan efforts and to the sincerity of the Aquino government in bringing peace and development in Mindanao,” Cruz said.
The NPA has been fighting for many decades now for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. Government peace talks with the rebel group had failed many times following demands by the communist group to free all jailed rebel leaders and political prisoners. (Mindanao Examiner)
20