Bicol
LEGAZPI CITY — MORE rebels are responding to the call of the government for them to abandon the armed movement.
This, after six more members of communist groups voluntarily surrendered to the 2nd Infantry Battalion.
Maj. Ricky Aguilar spokesman of 9th Infantry Battalion said the surrenderers were members of the Komiteng Seksyon sa Platoon 3 of Larangan 1, Milisya ng Bayan, Sangay ng Partido sa Lokalidad, and another co-supporter of the group.
They turned over to the military their weapons, including a caliber .357 revolver, four homemade shotguns, and an improvised explosive device. The authorities encouraged the new rebel returnees to return to their families.
Aguilar said that the achievement of Joint Task Force Bicolandia (JTFB) was made possible by the government’s relentless efforts as well as the Army’s Community Support Program (CSP).
“Through CSP, residents in conflict-affected areas are enlightened about the true motive of the terrorists and are discouraged to support them but rather convince their relatives and friends who are members of CTG(s) to surrender,” he said.
The JTFB was impressed with the former rebels who helped encourage their former comrades to join the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) being provided by other government agencies through the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict 5 (RTF-ELCAC 5).
More than a hundred rebels who surrendered in Masbate were given almost P2 million worth of financial assistance last month.
Created through Executive Order 70, the RTF-ELCAC is instrumental in coordinating the programs of different government agencies to bring efficient services to the people and put an end to the five-decade insurgency.