Tuesday, July 31, 2007 55 communist rebels yield in Sarangani
MAASIM -- Fifty-five communist rebels have surrendered to the government, renounced their armed struggle, and vowed to support the economic programs of this Sarangani town.
The group surrendered on July 27 at the municipal gym in Maasim, where vast pineapple plantations have given jobs to hinterland families.
Most of the rebels were unarmed as they were mostly propagandists, medics, and a few combatants who said they had grown tired of fighting the government.
It was the second mass surrender this month in Sarangani under a local government program to turn fertile hinterlands into production areas by building farm-to-market roads and bringing in investors.
The first surrender was in Malapatan town on July 18 when 10 members of the New People's Army turned themselves in. The rebels handed over their weapons.
The rebels who surrendered in Maasim belonged to Front 73 of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), military officials said.
In surrender ceremonies presided over by military and local government officials, those who surrendered burned the CPP flag and stacks of subversive documents and propaganda materials.
"Salamat kay gitagaan mi ug dakong pagtagad sa gobyerno (We are grateful that we were given this opportunity by the government)," said former NPA member Anthony "Ka Gabriel" Arinsulat.
"We guarantee that we will help others realize and make them understand the program of the government," he added.
From 1982 to the early 90s, the hinterlands of Maasim town had been a battleground between communist rebels and government forces.
But in 2004, Mayor Aniceto Lopez Jr. succeeded in making the town's economic turnaround by bringing in Dole Philippines' expansion program to the hinterlands. He achieved this by ensuring a stable peace and order condition in the area.
The rolling hills of Barangay Tahakayo now hosts around 2,000 hectares of pineapple farms under Dole's growership program, which provides livelihood to the B'laan community there.
"Maasim is now on its way towards progress not only because of your leaders, but because of our unity," Lopez said.
"We have only one government, one flag. Let us support it because we now see development," the mayor said.
Ex-rebel propagandist Reynaldo Peras, 43, said he joined the communist party in 1984.
He was trained to organize communities and advocate revolution for socio-political change.
"Now I have no problems with the government. We believe what Mayor Lopez told us that we cannot improve our lives if we continue to cause trouble here," Peras said.
Peras and his wife have eight children and now make a living through farming in a nearby barangay.
"Nakita nila na may pagkakataon silang magbagumbuhay dahil 'yan ang pangunahing programa ni Mayor Lopez," said Col. Daniel Soriano, deputy brigade commander of the 1002nd Brigade operating in Region 12. (They see that they have this chance to start anew.)
Soriano disclosed that more than a hundred rebels in the area were willing to join the government soon.
