Three more NPAs surrender
Three more Militia ng Bayan (NPA) members surrendered with firearms to PROCOR Regional Director PBGen. ‘RWIN SA PAGKALINAWAN and were presented to the public this morning at PROCOR Conference Room.
RD Police Brigadier General PAGKALINAWAN identified the surrenderees as Alyas Balyer, Alyas Nanay and Alyas WiIly. He stated that they surrendered through the concerted efforts of the intelligence operatives of PRO COR Regional Intelligence Division (RID), RIU 14, PIB, Benguet PPO and La Trinidad police and with the support and intercession of the LCEs and their relatives. Alyas Willy and Alyas Nanay surrendered with firearms and explosives.
Investigation showed that Balyer, 25, was a squad leader in the Komite Larangan Guerilya (KLG) operating in the quad boundary of Benguet, Abra, Mountain Province and Ilocos Sur. He surrendered his KG9 submachine gun with nine (9) live ammunition and a MK2 hand grenade. He revealed that sometime in 2013, he was recruited because of his skills in playing gongs and was later seen joining cultural presentations in Baguio City. He then became an active member of the PINATUD-ANAKBAYAN, Kabataan para sa Tribung Pilipino (KATRIBU) under Beverly Longid of the CPA and eventually became active in protest rallies. The following year 2014, he and others joined various anti-government protests and later joined the underground movement with the alias Balyer.
Nanay, 47, mother of Balyer, was an active supporter and member of the Militia ng Bayan (MB) operating in Barangay Tabacda, Tubo, Abra. She surrendered with her firearm described as Colt 45 with seven (7) live ammunition and a MK2 hand grenade.
Lastly, Willy, a 54 year old activist operating in Baguio City surrendered without any firearm. He entered the leftist group sometime in 1986 and became a leader of various sectoral organizations based in Baguio City and Benguet province, particularly, BAYAN MUNA. He was a member of the Philippine Mediation Center, Justice Hall, Baguio City. On October 1, 2007, he was arrested along Abanao St., Baguio City by virtue of a Warrant of Arrest for the crime of frustrated murder and 7 counts of murder issued by Judge Artemio B. Marrerro, RTC Branch 35, 1st Judicial Region, Bontoc, Mtn. Province, however, all were dismissed on March 16, 2008 for failure of the prosecution to present witnesses. Further, there was a monetary reward for his head in the amountof Php500,000.00 under DND-DILG Memorandum Circular 02-2007. Despite being cleared of all allegations against him, his name still appeared in the PSRTG list which prompted him to turn himself in to clear his name.
These surrenderers decided to leave the underground movement because they learned that their comrades who surrendered are enjoying a good life in peace and that they were tired of being on the run and the difficulties that go with it.
Nanay appealed to all students not to be deceived by the techniques of the NPAs. She further encouraged other members and supporters of the group to lay down their arms, and return to mainstream society.
“These surrenderees will undergo the custodial and stress debriefing prior to their enrollment in the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), RD PAGKALINAWAN said.
Former rebels receive incentives
Two former rebels in Mtn. Province received cash incentives as livelihood assistance and in exchange for the firearms, they had surrendered to the government.
The checks amounting to a total of P270,000.00 from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) was personally handed over by Governor Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr. in a simple ceremony which was held at the Senior Citizen’s Office, Caluttit, Bontoc, Mountain Province, on June 18, 2020 and witnessed by PCOL HOMER M. PENECILLA, provincial director, ILT KETH GABRIEL PAQUIBOT, AFP representative, Samson B. Appoy, cluster head, DILG-Mountain, Ms Miguela Angwani, PSWDO, and Rev. Fr. Marcial Castañeda, from the religious sector.
One beneficiary received a check amounting to P155 thousand which represented the following: Php15,000.00 immediate assistance; Php50,000.00 for livelihood assistance, and Php90,000.00 firearm remuneration. While the other one received a check amounting to P115 thousand broken down as Php15,000.00 immediate assistance, and Php100,000.00 for firearm remuneration.
The two personalities voluntarily surrendered with firearms on November 3, 2019, after a series of intelligence operations and negotiations. These firearms were used to terrorize communities and fight against government troops during conflicts.
The incentives are given to former rebels and Militia Ng Bayan, who signified their intent to return to the folds of the law, through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) of the government.
“I hope that with the firearms remuneration and other government programs for peace and development, more rebels will be enticed to yield to the government and take advantage of the many benefits waiting for them upon their surrender. The 3 rebels who surrendered this week will receive the same,” Gen. Pagkalinawan added.**
