Friday, September 08, 2006
26 rebels surrender to government
By Marna H. Dagumboy
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- A total of 26 suspected members of the New People's Army (NPA) surrendered to the government Thursday.
The 26 rebel returnees assigned to different areas in this province as members of the NPA, in denouncing their affiliation with the movement, took oath before 7th Infantry Division (ID) commander Jovito Palparan, 69th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army and Governor Mark Lapid at the Benigno Aquino Hall, Capitol grounds here.
According to one of the rebel returnees -- Rodolfo Tolentino, 50, from Floridablanca -- he surrendered and took oath for "verification and record purposes in order to clear his name" after he learned that his name was included in the order of battle of the 7th ID.
Tolentino - former member of the movement’s sub-regional strike force - said the death of Rommel "Carlo" Arcilla, an employee of Pampanga Electric Cooperation (Pelco) II and also a returnee, prompted him and his colleagues to surrender.
He said their lives have been threatened.
In behalf of his co-returnees, Tolentino appealed to the government for support.
Earlier, Palparan bared that Central Luzon is "not yet clear" of "rebel communists."
In his speech, Palparan encouraged residents here to fight the presence of rebels in order to achieve growth and development in the province.
He also urged them to work together to clear the province of armed groups, even as he said there are still suspected rebels operating in the towns of Floridablanca, Minalin, Masantol, Lubao and Arayat.
The general also said Army officials are confident of beating the deadline of clearing the region from of suspected rebel groups, which is in line with President Arroyo's directive to maintain peace and order in the country.
(September 8, 2006 issue)
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