Decommissioning of ex-NPA combatants set this week

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines —  The government will decommission former combatants of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) and their firearms within this week, an Army official said yesterday.

The RPA-ABB is a breakaway faction of the New People’s Army (NPA) operating in Western Visayas.

The rebel’s return to the fold of the law is the result of effective localized peace talks, according to Capt. Cenon Pancito III, spokesman for the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division.

At least 200 combatants, who surrendered more than 200 firearms and explosives to the government, were consolidated yesterday at Camp Alfredo Montelibano Sr. in this city.

“The consolidation was part of the preparations for this week’s  decommissioning ceremony,” Pancito said.

The RPA-ABB and its political wing,  Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Mangagawa-Pilipinas (RPM-P), signed a peace agreement with the government in 2000.

Pancito said the RPA-ABB, now known as Kapatiran sa Progresibong Lipunan, has denounced the leadership of Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison.

Following their breakup from the CPP-NPA, leaders of the RPA-ABB and RPM-P, were killed by NPA assassins in Quezon City in 1998.

Pancito said the Armed Forces of the Philippines would train the 200 combatants to become special civilian active auxilliary.

He said the combatants would be taught to defend themselves and their communities from rebel attacks.

The combatants will be issued firearms when they are deployed to communities, Pancito said.