44 CPP/NPA MEMBERS, SYMPATHIZERS YIELD TO NCRPO
NATIONAL Capital Region Police Office director, Major General Edgar Alan O. Okubo on Sunday announced the surrender of 44 members/sympathizers of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army to the Metro Manila police force.
The official said that 17 of the 44 were known active NPA rebels while the rest are members of different CPP/NPA Front Organizations who have renounced their membership with the underground movement and pledge their loyalty to the government after surrendering a cache of high-powered weapons and ammunition.
Maj. Gen. Okubo said they will formally accept the surrender of the 44 during simple ceremonies at the NCRPO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City. The occasion will be joined by Regional Peace and Order Council chairman, San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora and Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano.
Nine of the 44 belong to the group called Kadamay, five from the Alliance of Filipino Workers; two from the Baseco People’s Alliance; seven from Gabriela; six from Anakpawis; and one from Ganap na Kasapi.
The others belong to different NPA units outside Metro Manila.
Maj. Gen. Okubo said that the NPA guerrillas who yielded to them also turned over three improvised 12-gauge shotguns, three caliber .357 revolvers, two M-16 rifles; one AK-47 assault rifle; one M-14 sniper rifle; and one M-16 rifle equipped with an M-203 grenade launcher.
The NCRPO chief said that the surrender of the 44 was the result of the partnership of the Metro Manila police force, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, the Philippine National Police Special Action Force, the PNP Intelligence Group and the Joint Task Force NCR to help end local insurgency in the country.
“This is part of the whole-of-nation approach of the government to end communist insurgency thru various programs of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict,” Maj. Gen. Okubo said.
The official said they will temporarily take custody of the 44 while they are being subjected to a medical evaluation.
Under the care of the NCRPO, the 44 will also be enrolled in the Enhanced-Comprehensive Local Integration Program or E-CLIP of the Marcos government aimed at providing them in particular livelihood training that will help them feed their families as they return to the mainstream of the society.
“Nais ng ating pamahalaan sa ilalim ng ating Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. ang magkaroon kayo ng pangmatagalang hanapbuhay at magkaroon kayo ng panatag at mapayapang pamumuhay,” the official told the 44 surrenderees.
“Hinihikayat natin ang iba pa nating kababayan na nabulag sa maling ideolohiya na magbalik-loob na rin at makakaasa kayo na handa hindi lamang ang inyong kapulisan sa NCRPO kundi ang lahat ng sangay ng pamahalaan upang kayo ay tulungan. Sama-sama nating wakasan ang kasamaan na dulot ng insurhensiya at terorismo,” he added.
