Army lauds TF-ELCAC for surrender of NPA couple in Agusan Sur
By Alexander Lopez
LOCAL SUPPORT. Lt. Col. Romeo C. Jimenea (left), commander of the Army’s 26th Infantry Battalion, receives the three NPA surrenderers at the 26IB headquarters in Talacogon town, Agusan del Sur Monday (June 1, 2020). The Army official lauds the support of the local Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict for facilitating the surrender of communist rebels in the area. (Photo courtesy of 26IB)
BUTUAN CITY – The Philippine Army welcomed the efforts of the local Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict (TF-ELCAC) that resulted in the surrender of a New People’s Army (NPA) couple and another rebel in Agusan del Sur.
Lt. Col. Romeo C. Jimenea, commander of the Army’s 26th Infantry Battalion (26IB), said the local TF-ELCAC of San Luis town — through its Peace, Law Enforcement and Development Support (PLEDS) cluster — facilitated the surrender of the three NPA rebels on Monday.
“With the support of our local government in the area through the TF-ELCAC, we are hoping that more NPA rebels will surrender and time will come that these long years of futile armed struggle will perish,” Jimenea told Philippine News Agency Wednesday.
He said the continuous efforts of the TF-ELCAC in reaching out to NPA members for their surrender paved the way to the couple’s reuniting with their families.
Jimenea only identified the NPA couple as “Mark” and “Mariane” and the other rebel as “Ariel” for security reasons.
He said the couple used to operate under the NPA’s North Central Mindanao Regional Committee, adding the three surrenderers handed over an M16 AR18 rifle, a 45-caliber pistol and one KG9 rifle, all with magazines and ammunition.
In a separate statement issued on Wednesday, the 26IB quoted Mariane as criticizing the NPA for deceptive practices.
“There is no fairness inside the NPA movement. They are only good at tricking the masses to gain sympathies and recruit to their ranks, especially the youth,” Mariane said.
Mark said special treatment is given to leaders and their family members while ordinary combatants “gained nothing” from the rebel movement.
Ariel, on the other hand, narrated the “wasted sacrifices” he made for the communist rebel movement.
“Lately, they accused me of being a spy and a traitor. The charges made me tremble as I noticed the leaders were planning to kill me. I thanked the people who facilitated and helped me go out of the NPA movement,” Ariel said.
The three surrenderers also acknowledged the “upright treatment” accorded to them by the government, especially the Army.
Jimenea said they are now processing the enrollment of the three surrenderers to the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP).
“Just like the other former rebels, they will receive livelihood assistance from the government for them to start their new lives with their families and communities,” Jimenea said. (PNA)
Lt. Col. Romeo C. Jimenea, commander of the Army’s 26th Infantry Battalion (26IB), said the local TF-ELCAC of San Luis town — through its Peace, Law Enforcement and Development Support (PLEDS) cluster — facilitated the surrender of the three NPA rebels on Monday.
“With the support of our local government in the area through the TF-ELCAC, we are hoping that more NPA rebels will surrender and time will come that these long years of futile armed struggle will perish,” Jimenea told Philippine News Agency Wednesday.
He said the continuous efforts of the TF-ELCAC in reaching out to NPA members for their surrender paved the way to the couple’s reuniting with their families.
Jimenea only identified the NPA couple as “Mark” and “Mariane” and the other rebel as “Ariel” for security reasons.
He said the couple used to operate under the NPA’s North Central Mindanao Regional Committee, adding the three surrenderers handed over an M16 AR18 rifle, a 45-caliber pistol and one KG9 rifle, all with magazines and ammunition.
In a separate statement issued on Wednesday, the 26IB quoted Mariane as criticizing the NPA for deceptive practices.
“There is no fairness inside the NPA movement. They are only good at tricking the masses to gain sympathies and recruit to their ranks, especially the youth,” Mariane said.
Mark said special treatment is given to leaders and their family members while ordinary combatants “gained nothing” from the rebel movement.
Ariel, on the other hand, narrated the “wasted sacrifices” he made for the communist rebel movement.
“Lately, they accused me of being a spy and a traitor. The charges made me tremble as I noticed the leaders were planning to kill me. I thanked the people who facilitated and helped me go out of the NPA movement,” Ariel said.
The three surrenderers also acknowledged the “upright treatment” accorded to them by the government, especially the Army.
Jimenea said they are now processing the enrollment of the three surrenderers to the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP).
“Just like the other former rebels, they will receive livelihood assistance from the government for them to start their new lives with their families and communities,” Jimenea said. (PNA)
