BONTOC, Mt. Province – A 49-year old member of the New People’s Army (NPA), who voluntarily surrendered to the authorities, received financial assistance from BGen. Mafelino Bazar during his command visit at the Mountain Province Provincial Office in Camp Montes in this town on Thursday, Sept. 22.
Bazar, director of the Police Regional Office-Cordillera, identified the former NPA cadre as Ka Bastian (not his real name), a native of Barlig.
Barlig served as an active Intelligence of the former East Chico Line Kilusang Larangan Guerilla (ECL KLG) Marco.
He was listed No. 68 in the watchlist of the Philippine National Police's quarterly Periodic Status Report on Threat Groups (PSRTG) in the Cordillera.
Bazar said Ka Bastian surrendered with his M1 Garand rifle with four clips and 13 ammunition which he handed over to the cops of Mountain Province.
He said the safe return of Ka Bastian into the fold of the law was made possible due to the collaborative efforts and assistance of the joint personnel of Mountain Province PPO, PROCOR Regional Intelligence Division, and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA)-Cordillera.
The 69th Infantry Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, 503rd Brigade; 5th IB, 5ID MICO; 5MIB and 50IB, 5th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, under the supervision of provincial director Mountain Province PPO, Col. Rey Antolin de Peralta, also contributed significantly to the efforts.
Bazar said Ka Bastian has now been endorsed to the government's Enhanced Comprehensive Livelihood Integrated Program (ECLIP) for former rebels who are willing to renew and live a normal life.