By Mar T. Supnad
CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — Joint efforts of members of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) led Friday to the surrender of five more rebels in Aurora and Nueva Ecija.
“The continuous Local Peace Engagement activities of the Philippine National Police and other RTF-ELCAC members made the communist-terrorist group members aware of the government’s programs and the opportunity to change their lives and correct the mistakes they have committed due to deception,” Police Regional Director PBGen. Rhodel Sermonia said.
Returnee from Aurora is a member of Milisyang Bayan of Timog Sierra Madre. The individual voluntarily turned over 1 M-16 rifle with defaced serial number together with 2 short magazines loaded with 26 rounds of live 5.56 ammunition.
The four others from San Jose City are members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army.
The returnees are eligible to avail the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program and will be provided with a holistic package of benefits such as livelihood, medical, education, housing and legal assistance.
“I am once again urging those who are still actively fighting the government to lay down their arms and embrace other peaceful means to attain their sought after changes and to refrain from recruiting youth from poor families and students from state colleges and universities in Central Luzon. Our government has several programs to retool you so that you could all become even more productive members of our society,” Sermonia added.