Friday, February 24, 2006
14 rebels yield, turn over 16 firearms
By Nelson C. Bagaforo and Ben O. Tesiorna
DAVAO CITY -- Fourteen Moro recruits of the communist New People's Army (NPA) in Davao Oriental yielded to authorities Wednesday, along with 16 high-powered firearms and ammunition.
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, who chairs the Regional Peace and Order Council, together with Army 404th Infantry Brigade chief Antonio Amodia accepted the surrendered firearms.
But the NPA's Wilfredo Zapanta Command denied that the Moros were members of the revolutionary movement, claiming that "Amodia (just) wanted to score some propaganda points to offset the setbacks suffered by his units, officers, and troops in the field."
In a simple ceremony at the Army's headquarters in Mawab Wednesday afternoon, the group turned over seven M-16 rifles, two M-14 rifles, four carbines, one Browning (bar) rifle, one garand rifle, and one homemade (paltik) rifle.
Apparently in a bid to lure more communist rebels to return to the folds of the government, Duterte vowed to provide jobs to those who surrendered on top of the P18,000 cash and livelihood assistance to be given to them.
In a statement signed by Rafael dela Cruz, Wilfredo Zapanta Command spokesman, the revolutionary movement said the military, particularly the Army's 404th Brigade, is "engaging in high-level deception and resorting to phony propaganda."
"Not one among the thousands of members of the revolutionary mass organization in Guerilla Front 18 even knows any of the 14 returnees. Unconfirmed reports indicate they are members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front," the statement read.
The 14 rebel returnees, mostly in their 20's, were identified as Frederick Reyes, Delfin Onofre, Alih Banggali, Jul-amri Nabibulla, Michael Esmael, Luis Tirasol III, Rogelio Paradero, Ramsise Mangrar, Julius Layson, Alberto Quedevida, Monib Mangrar, Berly Paradero, Vlademor Taha, and Bajunaid Mangrar. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
(February 24, 2006 issue)
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