INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
LUCENA CITY — An alleged member of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) “people’s militia” surrendered on Wednesday to the government in Macalelon town in Quezon province.
The Army’s 85th Infantry Battalion reported on Thursday, May 4, that the rebel returnee surrendered to the police and Army soldiers.
The former rebel also surrendered one M16 rifle loaded with 12 bullets and one hand grenade.
The report said the surrenderer was part of the NPA unit that staged an ambush in 2017 on Army soldiers in Barangay Cogorin in Lopez town.
The attack left one soldier dead and two others wounded.
The military refers to the “people’s militia” as part of the insurgent’s mass base, which secures the NPA rebels while in the community. Sometimes, they are armed to reinforce the communist guerrillas during encounters.
On Dec. 13 last year, Macalelon, located in the Bondoc Peninsula, became the first municipality in the province to be granted a “Stable Internal Peace and Security” or insurgency-free status. The Bondoc Peninsula is a known former NPA bailiwick in Southern Tagalog.
The government authorities are preparing the assistance for the former rebel in his reintegration protocol under the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program.
A rebel returnee can avail himself of firearm remuneration and housing, medical care, loans, and legal assistance, among other forms of help from the government.
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