Camp Olivas, Pampanga—Seven New People’s Army rebels operating in Tarlac and Zambales areas voluntarily surrendered to the police and military troopers on separate occasions at Mayantoc, Tarlac on Tuesday, ending their decades-long ties with the communist guerillas.
Central Luzon police director BGen. Valeriano De Leon said the government efforts to put an end to the armed struggle of the Maoist ideologists is gradually gaining ground with the surrender of the seven guerillas.
“The continuous joint efforts of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) and its persistent campaign on anti-terrorism resulted to the voluntary surrender of seven Communist Terrorist Groups members in Mayantoc, Tarlac,” said De Leon in a statement.
De Leon said the rebels consist of three former members of Militiang Bayan; three from the Mesina Command under Kilusan Larangan Gerilya (KLG) Tar-Zam and another Milisyang Bayan of KLG Tarlac Party Committee and KLG Tarlac-Zambales.
The general did not mention the names of the rebels in his statement, citing security reasons.
“Let them remain unidentified to protect their families and relatives from possible retaliation by their former comrades due to their surrender,” said De Leon, as he expressed gratitude to the military and police units who have facilitated the successful surrender of the rebels. Jess Malabanan
The rebel returnees were brought to police headquarters where they were processed and took their oath of allegiance during simple rites held at Camp Macabulos, the home of the Tarlac Provincial Police Office.
De Leon said the rebels did not bring their firearms with them when they returned to the fold.
The massive awareness campaign of the government programs for them, De Leon said, might have reached them that prodded them to voluntarily leave the underground movement.
The rebels will remain under the custody of the police until such time that is ready to join the society, the general said.