BACOLOD CITY – Two New People’s Army (NPA) rebels have surrendered to the police and turned over firearms and explosives in Negros Occidental.
AN elderly communist rebel receives assistance from the police after he surrendered in Talisay City, Negros Occidental on January 14. (Photo via Glazyl Masculino)
In Talisay City, 70-year-old “Ka Dante,” a member of the dismantled Northern Negros Front (NNF) under the Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros Bohol Cebu Siquijor (KR-NBCS), surrendered in Barangay Zone 12-A on Sunday, January 14.
He turned over a .38 caliber revolver, an M203 grenade, and two .38 caliber bullets.
On January 11, “Ka Dong,” 47, of San Carlos City, also a former member of the dismantled NNF-KR-NCBS, surrendered to the 2nd MP Patrol Base, 1st Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Force Company (Nocpmfc), in Barangay Bunga, Don Salvador Benedicto.
He turned over an improvised 12-gauge shotgun, a 40mm grenade, a blasting cap, and two detonating cords. The rebel returnee received a sack of rice as immediate assistance.
Surrenderers underwent a series of interviews and documentation for validation to enable them to avail of the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).
Police Brig. Gen. Sidney Villaflor, director of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 (Western Visayas), emphasized the significance of voluntary surrender in dismantling insurgency networks.
Villaflor reiterated the commitment of the police to provide support and rehabilitation opportunities for those choosing the path of peace.
The PRO-6 commended the police for the surrender. “This act signifies the positive impact of our anti-insurgency campaign,” Villaflor said.
He urged the community and other individuals involved in insurgency activities to follow this example.