BALER, Aurora — Some 27 residents in the remote villages of Ibona and Matawe, in Dingalan, Aurora province have withdrawn their support to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
Lieutenant Colonel Julito B. Recto, Jr., Philippine Army’s 91st Infantry “Sinagtala” Battalion commander, said the former supporters broke their loyalty to the communist movement by signing Executive Order No. 70 manifesting their support to the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC).
“I am hoping that the group will continue their withdrawal of support to the Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs) who continually deceives the villagers to join in the meaningless armed struggle,” Recto said.
The former communist supporters later burned the flags of the communist and the NDF.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Enrique G Rafael, 7th Civil Military Operation Battalion commander, has encouraged the group to convince others who are still working with the terrorist organization to surrender and pledge allegiance to the government.
“We should stop fighting and stop the anti-government propaganda. We are calling on to put an end their violent tactics. Let us support peace towards progress and development,” he said.
Dingalan Police Station Chief of Police Captain Emilio dela Torre said the policemen are grateful for the group’s decision to go back to the fold of the law.
“Rest assured that the police and other concerned agencies will support the surrenderer’s to change their lives.
One of the former supporters, a certain “Ka Sonny,” shared how he was being urged to join the communist movement.
“The terrorist gave me an Armalite (M16) to protect our farm and later on try to convince me that I was already in the order of battle of the Philippine Army. Instead of joining, I refused. I said to my wife that the terrorists were deceiving us. We were awakened by the fact that the NPAs were fooling us and that the government is now helping us,” according to Ka Sonny.