BACOLOD City – A local guerrilla unit leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) voluntarily surrendered to the command group of the Philippine Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion (29IB) in Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.
The 33y-ear-old Jonel Moreno – resident of the said village – is now in the custody of the 62IB led by its commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Melvin Flores based in Barangay Libas, Isabela town.
Moreno surrendered to the army an M16 rifle with a magazine; a .45-caliber pistol with two magazines; assorted ammunitions and an ICOM handheld radio with accessories.
“The surrender of Moreno adds to the increasing number of NPA and Militia ng Bayan members who have finally woken up from the deception of the communist-terrorist group, and have decided to leave for good and avail the amnesty program of the government,” Flores said.
The NPA leader revealed that the continuous hardships, hunger and false promises of NPA leaders have prompted him to go back to the fold of the law, a press statement from the 303 Infantry Brigade (303IB) said.
According to the military, Moreno is now undergoing custodial and stress debriefing prior to his enrollment to the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) in order to receive immediate welfare and livelihood assistance and incentives for the surrendered firearms.
Meanwhile, Colonel Inocencio Pasaporte, 303IB commander, encouraged other NPA members to abandon the armed struggle, saying it is high time to leave the communist terrorist organization and avail the E-CLIP being offered by our government./PN
