15 NPA members yield in NegOr

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The Army’s 94th Infantry Battalion (IB) welcomed 15 former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) who returned to the folds of the law at the 94th IB headquarters in Barangay Tambo, Ayungon, Negros Oriental last Saturday.

The rebel returnees were all members of Sentro De Gabridad (SDG) Platoon of Central Negros (CN) 2 – Komiteng Rehiyon Negros, Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor (KR-NCBS).

They also turned over an M14 rifle, two .38 caliber revolvers, a homemade shotgun, and a rifle grenade to the Army and the police.

According to the police, these personalities are now under the custody of the 94th IB for their security.

Meanwhile, the 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde) also welcomed the launching and orientation of Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) project dubbed “AMUMA sa Barangay – Community Managed Savings and Credit Associations (COMSCA)” facilitated by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) held at the gymnasium of Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental on Thursday, Feb. 15.

The community development strategy project aims to assist vulnerable families in all End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) target areas.

The target villages of the said project are the first 10 ELCAC barangays in the cities of Guihulngan and Canlaon, according to the Army.

The project also aims to build the economic resilience and financial literacy of households through the mobilization of self-help mechanisms for saving services.

In a message, Colonel Orlando Edralin, 303rd IBde commander, said that as one of the partner agencies of the National Task Force (NTF)-ELCAC, the Army, especially the 303rd IBde, is consistent in giving support to all the programs of the government in Negros island that aim to address the root causes of insurgency.