AT LEAST 257 former supporters of the New People’s Army (NPA) denounced the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA during an indignation rally held in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental on Sunday, April 7.
These individuals are residents of Barangays Quezon, Guadalupe, Nataban, Codcod, and Buluangan.
They all marched on the streets of the city proper, carrying placards and tarpaulins denouncing the CPP-NPA terrorists.
They also burned the rebel flags as their way of showing their disgust to the group, as they expressed their fervent desire for a peaceful and NPA-free community.
Earlier, the former mass supporters underwent a two-day live-in seminar which focused on the ills of communism that commenced on Saturday, April 6 at the city’s auditorium.
It was conceptualized by the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Emelito Thaddeus Logan, in partnership with the 33rd Civil Military Operations (CMO) Company of the 3rd CMO Battalion.
“This is the result of our strategized localized peace talk initiatives in collaboration with the government agencies,” Logan said.
“Our collaboration successfully reached out to the families and immediate communities of the members of the CPP-NPA terrorists to make sure that the purpose of our initiatives will be understood by these individuals,” he added.
Logan further said that the CPP-NPA terrorists in their area of operations incurred a total of 538 losses due to series of mass surrenders in less than three months and considered it a breakthrough to their anti-insurgency campaign.
He attributed these significant accomplishments to the relentless Community Support Program and the concerted efforts of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police in the area coupled with the untiring support of the stakeholders and vigilance of the peace-loving Negrenses.
“Aside from our sincerity in helping them start a new life, their decade long sufferings from the cruelty of the communist terrorist group made them decide to desert the communist terrorist group,” he said.
In February, a total of 229 former supporters of CPP-NPA from the insurgency-affected barangays of Sagay, Escalante, Cadiz, Victorias and San Carlos cities and the municipalities of Manapla and E.B. Magalona took their oath of allegiance to the government.
It was followed by the surrender of 25 members of the CPP-NPA terrorists with firearms on March 2, and the surrender of 27 former Yunit Militias and mass supporters from Barangay Paitan, Escalante City who also yielded their firearms on March 31.