276 residents turn their backs on rebels

By Jennifer P. Rendon

 

Hundreds of residents in so-called New People’s Army (NPA)-influenced barangays formally turned their backs on the rebel group.

The 276 individuals – 52 from Calinog, Iloilo and 224 from Tapaz, Capiz – took their oath of allegiance to the Philippine government on January 8, 2021 at the Calinog Civic Center.

Initiated by the Regional Task Force 6 to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF6-ELCAC), the oath-taking and covenant signing happened nine days following the simultaneous police operations in two barangays in Calinog and seven in Tapaz.

The raids led to the arrest of 16 persons (6 in Calinog and 10 in Tapaz) and the death of nine Tapaz residents who were subjects of search warrants.

The program signifies that the 276 residents have “returned to the folds of law after intensified anti-insurgency operations and community relations activities in their respective localities,” the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) said.

Brigadier General Rolando Miranda, Western Visayas Police Chief; Colonel Gilbert Gorero, Iloilo Police Chief; Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Estrada of the Philippine Army; Juan Jovian Ingeniero of the Department of the Interior and Local Government; and Mayor Francisco Calvo were present during the program.

Governors Arthur Defensor, Jr. of Iloilo and Esteban Evan Contreras sent representatives.

Colonel Julio Gustilo, Capiz Police Chief, did not make it to the program.

The activity was initiated to acknowledge the collective efforts of 276 residents to voluntarily turn themselves in and clear their names of any link to the rebels.

The PNP Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division, assisted by Prosecutor Flosemer Chris Gonzales of the Legal Coordination Cluster 6 and Legal Officers from PRO-6, will process the “surrenderees” to determine their degree of involvement or support to the communist terrorist group.

Judicial affidavits were extracted from members and former NPA members so they can avail benefits from the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).