Ex-rebel surrenders to police

By: Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – A former member of South West Front of Komiteng Rehiyong Negros (SWF-KR-N) of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to authorities early this week.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Manongdo, commander of 2nd company of Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Force Company (Nocpmfc) based in Hinigaran town, said a 43-year-old rebel returnee voluntarily submitted himself to the police last Monday. He however, refused to reveal his identity for security reasons.

The rebel returnee also turned over a .45 caliber and a magazine loaded with five live ammunition, which he claimed was given by his comrades as he was assigned as yunit militia, Manongdo said.

Yunit militia is the one assigned by the group to do intelligence monitoring on the ground, he added.

Manongdo said that the former rebel joined the armed struggle in 2016 when he was recruited by the NPA in 2012, following the death of his father, who was allegedly killed by a member of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (Cafgu) in the late 90s.

“He opted to return to the fold of the law dahil sabi niya wala daw siya patutunguhan dun,” Manongdo said.

The surrender of the former rebel was an offshoot of the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) efforts in providing community support for the former rebels under Enhanced and Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP).

This development clearly indicates that the victims of enemy deception are gradually being enlightened concerning the unlawful acts of their former comrades.