• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Twenty-six former New People’s Army rebels have surrendered to infantry units of the 3rd Infantry Division and the police in Negros and Panay, as of July 21.
Three more self-confessed New People’s Army combatants surrendered to the79th Infantry Battalion on July 21, as the amnesty applications of their 53 comrades are being processed by the Local Amnesty Board, for their reintegration to mainstream society.
The former rebels, identified only through their aliases as Adan, Itom, and Jeffrey, were all members of the Sentro De Grabidad Platoon of the dismantled Northern Negros Front (NNF) of the Komiteng Rehiyon – Negros Cebu Bohol Siquijor (KR-NCBS).
Lt. Col. J Jay Javines, 3rd Infantry Division spokesman, recalled that the NNF remnants have suffered heavy losses in the series of encounters with 79IB in Brgy. Pinapagusan in Escalante City, where three of their comrades died in a series of gun battles, which also resulted in the recovery of 16 high powered firearms on February 21 to 27 this year.
Javines said that the three former NPA combatants surrendered to avail of the government reintegration program.
Of the 26 former rebels, 21 have already received the Enhanced – Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) assistance facilitated by the Department of Interior and Local Government in Regions 6 and 7, while the assistance for other former rebels is still in process.
In a statement, Maj. Gen. Marion Sison, 3ID commander, commended the 79IB and the PNP for their collaborative effort, which resulted in the surrender of the three rebel remnants.*
