32 Reds surrender as CPP marks anniversary

MANILA, Philippines — Thirty-two New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Agusan del Norte surrendered yesterday as the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) marked its 52nd anniversary.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Debold Sinas said the rebels turned over a submachine gun, an M14 rifle, 11 12-gauge shotgun and six other guns.

Sinas said the rebel returnees also burned a flag of the CPP–NPA as a gesture that they have abandoned their communist ideologies.

”We welcome CPP–NPA members who will heed our call to return to the fold of the law and join the mainstream society as free and empowered citizens,” he said.

Sinas instructed Caraga police director Brig. Gen Romeo Caramat Jr. to facilitate the grant of benefits to the former rebels under the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program or E-CLIP.

The PNP chief had earlier assured NPA rebels who want to surrender of their safe passage.

”This is the PNP’s way of extending its acceptance to any NPA member who wish to be with their family and return to the fold of the law,” Sinas said.

Rebel camp seized

In Sultan Kudarat, the military overran an NPA camp in Barangay Namat Masla in Palimbang town on Thursday.

Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, Western Mindanao Command chief, said  the remains of a rebel and improvised explosive devices were recovered at the scene.

Vinluan said it was the third NPA camp seized in two days of operations of the 63rd Reconnaisance Company.

C. Visayas NPA leader nabbed

In Negros Occidental, Radino Gillendez, committee secretary of an NPA unit operating in Central Visayas, was arrested in Barangay Camindangan, Sipalay City, also on Thursday.

Lt. Col. Erwin Cariño, 15th Infantry Battalion commander, said  a caliber .45 pistol, two hand grenades, two laptops, eight cellular phones, two pocket WiFi devices, an external hard drive and a motorcycle were among those recovered from Gillendez.

Brig. Gen. Valeriano de Leon, Central Luzon police director, said a certain Sandro of Alyansang Magbubukid ng Central Luzon surrendered in Nueva Ecija.

De Leon said the surrenderee yielded a caliber .38 revolver, a hand grenade, three bottles of dextrose and medical paraphernalia.

As this developed, the 5th Infantry Division (ID) reported that four major guerrilla fronts in Cagayan Valley and the Cordilleras have been neutralized in military operations since January.

Maj. Jekyll Julian Dulawan, 5th ID public affairs office chief, said 193 rebels, 113  assorted firearms and 14 rebels camps were seized.

Clandestine activities

The CPP said it would continue to hold clandestine activities in the coming days to celebrate its anniversary.

Marco Valbuena, spokesman for the CPP’s central committee, said the military failed to detect and prevent their anniversary gatherings in several areas.

Valbuena said some of these assemblies  also serve as seminars to discuss the party’s views about the current international and national situation. – Roel Pareño, Gilbert Bayoran, Victor Martin, Artemio Dumlao