Nueva Ecija insurgents give up fight

The military continue to entice rebels to rejoin society and avail of the government's livelihood programs.

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija—Nineteen rebel supporters from this province surrendered to the 91st Infantry Battalion on Saturday, further enforcing the government’s thrust of reforming insurgents.

Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Jose Mari Torrenueva II said the surrenderees were members of Milisyang Bayan and other groups supporting the Komiteng Larangang Guerilya Sierra Madre of the New People’s Army. They went to Barangay Antipolo in Bongabon town to surrender.

“This new batch was accomplished through the assistance of the 84th Infantry Battalion and first Police Mobile Force Company of the Nueva Ecija Police Provincial Office,” Torrenueva said, adding that most are residents of Barangays Oliveti, Pesa, Macabaclay and Antipolo in Bongabon.

“I am very pleased that our people are now seeing the futility and wrongness of supporting the armed struggle being championed by the NPA. My unit will not tire in reaching out to our people in other areas where NPA still wields influence,” Torrenueva said.

This is the second time this week that supporters of the NPA surrendered to the government.

On 6 November, a total of 53 NPA supporters surrendered to the 84th Infantry Battalion in Caranglan, Nueva Ecija, and another 24 to the 91st Infantry Battalion in San Luis, Aurora.

“I noticed the increasing number of surrenderees this week in the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Aurora. This is a clear manifestation that the people are now well-informed of NPA deception which resulted to their decision to renounce their support from the rebels and shifted their support to the effort of the government to attain lasting peace. We are also looking at the effect of the efforts of Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict as it is now working well down to the barangay level,” 7th Infantry Division Commander Major General Lenard T. Agustin said in a statement.