Three former NPAs surrender, get livelihood assistance

CEBU – Three former communist insurgents who surrendered to the government were given financial aid from the provincial government after they were formally presented to Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.

“Nagtagsa-tagsa ug nagkadaghan na og kanaog sila,” Garcia said in her speech during the simple ceremony held at the Capitol Social Hall last Friday.

The three former rebels who received P30,000 from the provincial government are Roy Pautan, Rodolulfo Quimbo and Dioscoro Pasaje. They turned over their firearms to 78th Infantry Battalion commander Col. Raymundo Bañares in simple rites.

The firearms were two US-made Springfield 1917 .30 cal. rifles and a Japanese-made Springfield .30 cal. rifle. They also surrendered 55 30.06 cal. rounds.

“We chose to take the courage and exercise political will. This is your provincial government,” Garcia said, adding that in the battle against rebels, the government should use more than bullets and arms and economic and social services must be delivered to counter the insurgency.

Garcia assured that if a rebel surrenders and rejoins society her administration will make sure that he or she gets livelihood assistance.

Quimbo and Pasaje are both guides to the NPA while Pautan is a mass supporter of the rebels. They all said they joined the movement because of financial constraints.

Pautan lives in the mountain barangay of sitio Lumanoy, barangay Cambangkaya, in Catmon town, Quimbo hails from sitio Panaliwad-on, barangay Langosig, Danao City and Pasaje is from barangay Bayabas, Danao City.

All surrenderees decided to turn themselves in when they realized that the NPA’s claims that they want to save and liberate the poor were nothing but empty promises.

They also said they learned from other rebel returnees that they were accommodated and treated very well by the government troops after returning to the fold of the law.

The Central Command has launched a “Balik-Baril” program that offers money for rebel firearms surrendered. — Garry B. Lao/BRP (THE FREEMAN)