‘Rebel bomb expert’ surrenders

By Jennifer P. Rendon

At age 12, Alvin (not his real name) had his first glimpse of injustice: his family’s farmland forcibly taken by a politician.

He dropped out of school and joined the New People’s Army (NPA) in 1986, which was the heyday of the rebel group.

Three years later, Alvin was sent to Malaysia for a “demolition course,” a training where he was taught how to make bombs, among others.

He went back to the country and stayed in Iloilo City where he became team leader of the NPA’s Regional Command Armed Liquidation Squad Special Operations Group (RCALS-SOG).

Fast forward to more than three decades, Alvin, now 47, decided to call it quits with the NPA after 35 years.

In his words, “good things are only for the ‘ranking’ members. For a mere red fighter, who does the hard job, they have to sacrifice including their families.”

Alvin voluntarily surrendered to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 6 (CIDG-6) in one of the towns in the first district of Iloilo early morning of May 28, 2021.

“I surrendered for my family,” Alvin said, referring to his wife and four children’s desire for him to lead a peaceful love.

He said there’s freedom in not having to always run from pursuing government forces.

Alvin turned over his baby M16 Armalite Rifle with magazine and 19 ammunitions.

He will also be recommended to avail the benefits under the Enhanced-Comprehensive Local Integration Program.

 

INVOLVEMENT

Lieutenant Colonel Gervacio Balmaceda, CIDG-6 regional director, said that they are conducting operational research if Alvin has pending warrants of arrest.

But records showed that the former rebel passed the Alternative Learning System (ALS), a parallel learning system in the Philippines that provides a practical option to the existing formal instruction, and qualified as a high school student when he was arrested and incarcerated at a Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) facility in Pototan, Iloilo.

He was detained for murder and violation of Republic Act 9516 (Laws on Illegal/Unlawful Possession, Manufacture, Dealing in, Acquisition or Disposition, of Firearms, Ammunition or Explosives) in 2009.

In 2016, Alvin was released after the charges against him were dismissed.

Alvin revealed that he was involved in several NPA-initiated atrocities.

In 2001, he took part in an encounter that killed 17 members of the Philippine Army in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.

He was also there when NPAs did their offensives against Philippine Army soldiers in 2005 in Calinog, Iloilo. The incident killed nine and wounded 18 others.

Between the years 2002 and 2006, he actively participated in operations of the ALEOSAN (Alimodian-Leon-San Miguel) Squad District where they mounted several “hit and run style” ambushes against government troops.

Alvin claimed also they assassinated an Army intelligence officer in a cockpit arena in Leon, Iloilo in 2007.

He also participated in an ambush on government troops in Leon town the following year.

 

BIG BLOW

Balmaceda said Alvin’s surrender would be a big blow to the NPA movement in the area since his role as a bomb maker has a big impact in the organization

“Malaking kawalan siya sa grupo nila,” he said.

Chances are other regular NPA members would also yield to authorities.

Even Alvin acknowledged that his other comrades have been planning to surrender since last year, especially after the passing of Republic Act No. 11479 (The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020).

“Medyo limited na ang galaw namin sa taas kaya marami talaga ang may plano na mag-surrender,” Alvin said in a mix of Tagalog and Hiligaynon.

He said his surrender could have never been timelier claiming that he got nothing good from his experience.

Alvin also lauded the government’s programs for former rebels that further enticed him to surrender.