BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine Army reported yesterday that a squad leader of the New People’s Army and two other local cadres of the Communist Party of the Philippines have surrendered to the 79th and 94th Infantry Battalions in Negros Island, respectively.
Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, disclosed that alias Ka Bruno, a political instructor of the dismantled Northern Negros Front, and alias Ka Mary, gave themselves up to the 79th Infantry Battalion in Sagay City, Negros Occidental.
Ka Mary served as a staff member of the dismantled Northern Negros Front.
Following the deaths of their two leaders, Kerima Lorena Tariman and Marilyn Badayos, in separate encounters with Army soldiers in August and October last year, the two former CPP-NPA cadres revealed that the remnants of the dismantled guerilla front are disorganized because of the leadership vacuum, and is on the verge of collapse, Pasaporte said.
Both had served with the CPP-NPA for more than 20 years, he added.
Another NPA leader identified as Samson Ones Tillo, alias Dener, also gave up the armed struggle and surrendered a .45 caliber pistol to the 94th Infantry Battalion in Ayungon, Negros Oriental.
Lt. Col. Angelo Guzman, 94IB commander, disclosed that Ka Dener participated in 10 encounters against government forces in central Negros in almost 10 years of membership with the terrorist organization.
The former rebel leader, according to Guzman, revealed that the relentless combat operations of the 94IB made them always on the run, thus, dislocating him from his wife and family.
All of them are expected to avail of financial and livelihood assistance from the Enhanced Local Integration Program of the government, Pasaporte said.*
