Ranking Amazon sisters surrender Claims ‘leadership collapse’ in the NPA
BACOLOD CITY – Two ranking rebel sisters of the New People’s Army (NPA) got reunited with their family members after they voluntarily surrendered to officials of the Philippine Army at Camp Nelson Gerona in Brgy. Minoyan, Murcia, Negros Occidental yesterday.
Emma Calderon, 36, alias “Bryan” and younger sister Joan, 26, alias “Wingwing” are both facing murder and rebellion charges and have a P550,000 bounty each on their heads for their alleged participation in the ambush of former Canlaon Mayor Jose Cardenas in 2004.
Both sisters said they “formally” sought permission from the movement and have no fear of possible retaliation from former comrades because “we gave up our arms to them and they freely allowed us to leave.”
Emma said there is evident “collapse in leadership” in the movement. She said her whole platoon disintegrated and “many went down but under the premise that we have to secure our own security.”
303rd Infantry Battalion Commander, Col. Maximo Caro said this is a “welcome development” and “government will ensure that they will be treated well and be given assistance through our Social Integration Program.”
As part of the SIP agreement, both sisters will receive P20,000 financial assistance for their surrender and another P50,000 for livelihood enhancement or a total of P70,000 each to help them start a new life.
Both could have gotten another P50,000 each for every high-powered firearm they will surrender to the Army but Emma said, “we had to give back the firearms to the movement as part of our graceful exit agreement.”
Emma joined the movement first when she was then 19 years old claiming their family was a victim of political injustice. “I was the one who sought the NPA because then we had nowhere to turn to,” she said, adding that it took almost a month before she was accepted to the movement as she had to go through a rigorous “social investigation” because of her father’s involvement as a former member of the Civilian Home Defense Forces (CHDF).
Emma rose through the ranks and encouraged their youngest sister, Joan, to join the movement as well when the latter was just 15 years old.
Unlike Emma, Joan said she joined the NPA as a “mere adventure” but was “indoctrinated” and was soon taking up arms as a combatant becoming an assistant squad leader under the 2nd Platoon of the Larangan Guerilla 1 operating in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental and in the towns of Vallehermoso and Guihulngan, Negros Oriental.
Emma on the other hand said while she had no regrets in joining the NPA and maintains a high respect for her comrades she welcomed the idea of returning home and rejoining her family after ten long years in hiding.
“While I was in the movement, I earned a name which also earned respect for my family and we fought for what we believed in. However, it has a come to a point now that I had to ask myself ‘what am I giving up my life for?’, said Emma, adding that what prompted them also to come down are the stories that bounty hunters are looking for them to claim the rewards on their heads.
Joan said they’ve learned that some bounty hunters have run up debts to finance their operation to find them and avail of the reward money.
