ILOILO City – A high-ranking member of the New People’s Army from Tubungan, Iloilo voluntarily surrendered to the Philippine Army’s 61st Infantry Battalion (61IB) yesterday at Camp Monteclaro, Barangay Igtuba, Miag-ao, Iloilo.
Tubungan mayor Roquito Tacsagon personally facilitated the surrender of his “kasimanwa” with the assistance of Senior Fire Officer 3 Russell Gotera of the Bureau of Fire Protection.
Lieutenant Colonel Joel Benedict Batara, 61IB commanding officer, only identified the surrenderee as a certain “Cardo,” 49 years old, a resident of Tubungan and was a high-ranking officer of NPA’s Southern Front, Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay.
Realizing that this is for the betterment of his life and his family, Alias Cardo surrendered himself to the government.
He said that he trusts the government and he is at ease that the local government will assist and help him.
He has doubts at first since he was indoctrinated by his leaders in the movement that once he surrenders, the army will torture him and that his life will be in great danger, he added.
“But that accusations were absolutely false and the terrorists were absolutely wrong,” Cardo added.
Batara is grateful to the local government unit’s (LGU) efforts together with the partner stakeholders in this harmonious collaboration to help those members of the NPA terrorist to surrender and have a normal life.
The Army’s 61IB will assist Cardo to be enrolled in the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP). He will also receive assistance from LGU’s Project ROKIT./PN
