NPA rebel in Igbaras van-torching yields
A member of the New People’s Army (NPA) involved in the van-torching in Igbaras, Iloilo a few months ago voluntarily gave himself up to the police authorities in Arevalo district, Iloilo City.
1Lt. Mark Andrew T. Posadas, public information officer of 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division based at Camp Macario Peralta, Jamindan, Capiz, identified the rebel surrenderee as Jason Elgardio alias John/Jan, 20, of Sitio Baguan, Barangay Igbanaba, Igbaras.
Posadas said based on the blotter report of Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), Elgario freely gave himself up on Tuesday, to PO2 Rex Wendam and PO1 Newland Lauron at Barangay Mohon, Arevalo district in this city.
Bothered by his guilty conscience, Elgario admitted to police authorities his involvement in the theft and bombing of a Philip Morris van last July this year in Barangay Alameda, Igbaras town together with 15 communist rebels under the leadership of a certain Ka Jess of NPA’s Southern Front Committee.
He said the Philip Morris delivery van was set ablaze by the NPA rebels for the refusal of the company’s management to pay revolutionary taxes.
Posadas said Elgario heeded the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP’s) constant appeal for misguided NPA rebels holed up in the mountains to return to the fold of law and avail of the Social Integration Program (SIP) of the government being granted to the rebel surrenderees.
The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) based in Camp Delgado took custody of Elgario for proper documentation. He also expressed his intention to avail of the SIP.
A week ago, the Calderon sisters who shared the P1.1 million bounty on their heads for the murder of Canlaon City mayor, also surrendered to the 3ID’s 303rd Infantry Brigade in Murcia, Negros Occidental.
Emma and Joan Calderon, both residents of Barangay Pula, Kanlaon City, Negros Occidental, stated that their reason for leaving the communist movement was the disillusionment for the past 10 years of sacrificing their personal freedom but not having progressed their armed struggle.
They claimed that rifts between the leadership of the Kilusang Rehiyon-Negros (KR-N) as well as their separation from their loved ones, was a significant factor in their defection from the communist movement in Negros.
Maj. Gen. Vicente Porto, commander of the 3ID said “We are seeing this same pattern all over Western Visayas. With the continuous pressure of our internal security operations and the divisiveness within the CPP-NPA’s own ranks, we expect more rebels to surrender. This is indeed a very welcome and a very huge step for national reconciliation.”
Porto commended the success of the SIP that has grown in leaps and bounds as the previous recipients themselves are the ones encouraging their former comrades to avail of the program. “This is a huge development in attaining our goal of diminishing the communist terrorist threat in the Visayas,” he said. (PNA)
