TACLOBAN CITY – The Eastern Samar Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) recently launched the Friends Rescued Engagement through their Families (FReE Families) project to gather the support and commitment of relatives of New People's Army rebels in their surrender.
Army 802nd Infantry (Peerless) Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Noel Vestuir, in an interview on Friday, October 6, said that since the NPAs bank on hatred to recruit their members, they counter it with love from families to convince their recruits to surrender.
"The FReE Families project aims to help the families of active NPA members in the 802nd Brigade’s area of operation in Eastern Samar from the anxiety caused by the continued membership of their relatives in the NPA," Vestuir said.
Twenty-nine family members of 19 active NPAs who are residents of Eastern Samar joined the dialogue to share their concerns and understand how the local chief executives could help them.
"It has been observed that these family members are also pressured by the Communist Terrorist Group’s leadership to join or support the armed struggle through disinformation such as instilling hate and fear of the government," Vestuir said.
He added that they also launched the FReE Families in Samar on September 19 with Gov. Sharee Ann Tan and the mayors of Pinabacdao, Calbiga, Hinabangan, San Sebastian, Basey, and Villareal. After a week, a woman brought her husband to Mayor Teodorico Mabag of Pinabacdao to surrender.
Since the brigade moved to Eastern Samar last June, Vestuir said that they have at least seven surrenderers convinced by their families to abandon the armed struggle and return to the fold of the law.