Four rebels surrender in Catanduanes
November 17, 2009 3:27 pm
PILI, Camarines Sur, Nov. 17 — At least four members of the New People’s Army (NPA) operating in the island province of Catanduanes surrendered recently, bringing to a total of 41 rebels that surrendered this year to military authorities in Bicol, a ranking Philippine Army (PA) official told the Philippine News Agency here Tuesday.
They are Salvador Aquino alias Bunso, a native of Caramoran, Mamerto Taop alias "Manong", Helbert Taop alias "Jack" and Willie Malaguenio alias "Dino", all residents of Panganiban in Catanduanes.
Army Maj. Harol Cabunoc, 9th Army Infantry Division spokesman, said the rebels voluntarily surrendered over the weekend to the 83rd Infantry Battalion led by Lt. Col. Romeo Basco, battalion commanding officer.
The rebels claimed that they surrendered to the authorities because they could no longer bear the hardship and false hope promised them by the communist movement.
He said the rebels are members of two NPA bands led by a certain "Kumander Tabs" and guerrilla front PUSA under "Ka Jonas."
Cabunoc said a total of 41 communist guerrillas across the region have surrendered to the Army’s 9th Infantry Division.
Cabunoc said the rebel surrenderors are being processed to determine if they qualify to the livelihood project under the Social Integration Program (SIP) of the government.
Maj. Gen. Ruperto Pabustan, commanding general of the 9th Army Infantry Division, in briefing said his command initiated over 30 offensive across the Bicol peninsula that led to the dismantling of eight rebel camps, including a guerrilla front “Pluto” in the island province of Catanduanes.
Pabustan said the tactical offensive also resulted in the death of 15 communist rebels, four rebels captured and 41 surrenderors and the recovery of over 50 high powered firearms.
Pabustan also reported that the soldiers from the 901st Infantry Brigade unearthed skeletal remains from at least five grave sites in remote villages of Maninila and Taplacon in Camalig town a former insurgency hot spot in Albay. The cadavers were believed to be victims of “salvaging” by the NPA rebels, he added.
Pabustan said the series of offensive launched by the Army against the communist movement in Bicol is indeed the determination of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to crush the remaining communist fronts in the region by 2010.
The AFP has placed Bicol among the top national priority areas where internal security operations would be heightened against the NPA rebels operating here.
Pabustan, said the Bicol peninsula, Davao in Mindanao and Negros in the Visayas are among the top three regions placed under the national priority areas to initiate an aggressive Internal Security Operation against the rebels.
The Bicol Regional Party Committee (BRPC) of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) with its armed component the NPA is led by Mario de la Cruz alias "Ka Molong" with 500 armed regulars operating in the six provinces of Bicol. (PNA)
FFC/MSA/cbd
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