4 NPA supporters yield to PRO2 cops
POLICE Regional Office 2 (PRO2) Director Brigadier General Steve B. Ludan yesterday announced the surrender of five female New People’s Army (NPA) supporters in the Cagayan region.
The official identified the five only thru their aliases “Ka Mira”, 26; “Ka Karing”, 73; “Ka Lita”, 49; “Ka Rosa”, 25; and “Ka Jodi”, 40.
All were identified as alleged members of the AnakPawis, a militant group accused of supporting the NPA movement in Cagayan Valley, said Ludan in a report to Philippine National Police-Officer-in-Charge (PNP-OIC) Lieutenant General Vicente D. Danao Jr.
“Ka Mira” turned herself over to police and military authorities in Allcapana, Cagayan while “Ka Karing”, “Ka Lita”, and “Ka Rosa” surrendered to PRO2 and Army officials in Sta. Maria, Isabela on Tuesday.
All four said they were recruited into the movement in 2018 by one “Dominga Aberion” of the “Unyon ng mga Magsasaka sa Agrikultura” and later joined protest rallies to denounce their low wages and unpaid overtime work in a sugarcane plantation in the municipality.
The four likewise claimed they were promised by their recruiters that their claims in the aftermath of the onslaught of typhoon “Lawin” that ravaged Isabela will be facilitated.
The 5th identified only as “Jodi”, a confessed member of the AnakPawis/Kagimungan White Area Committee operating in Pamplona, Cagayan, turned herself over to local policemen also on Tuesday.
Brig. Gen. Ludan said that the woman was recruited into the militant movement by one “Marilou Barrientos” in Bgy. Bagu in Pamplona municipality with the promise she will get help in their land dispute with another family.
“Jodi’ said that after a series of meetings with AnakPawis members in the house of Barrientos presided by one “Emy Biscaro”, said to be the vice-chairman and treasurer of the group, she and her fellows joined a protest rally in front of the offices of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Tuguegarao City.
Brig. Gen. Ludan said that the woman’s surrender came in the wake of their continuing effort to convince more NPA members and sympathizers in Cagayan Valley to return to the mainstream of the society and avail of government programs that will help them tend to their families.
“This is part of our support to the Retooled Community Support Program of the government in support of the comprehensive effort to end local communist armed conflict,” the PRO2 director said. By Alfred Dalizon
