By Cris Diaz
CAMP EVANGELISTA, Cagayan de Oro City, (PNA) – Thirty-five communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels, including a minor, surrendered to the military here to avail themselves of the government’s “Gun for Peace and Social Integration Program.”
Capt. Christian Uy, spokesperson of the army’s Public Affairs Division here, said that Lt. Gen. Ricardo Rainier G. Cruz, Commander, of the army’s Eastern Mindanao Command, will formally accept the surrender in a ceremony at the army’s headquarters here Thursday afternoon.
Cruz would be accompanied by representatives from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP) and top brass of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The 35 surrenderers were regular members of the NPA rebels operating in the hinterlands of Caraga and Region 10, composed of 17 individuals from Agusandel Sur, six from Bukidnon, six from Surigao del Sur, three from Surigao del Norte, two from Agusan del Norte, and one from the province of Misamis Oriental.
The surrenderers brought along with them 31 assorted high powered firearms to include: AK 47’s, M14, M16A1, Garand rifles, cal. 30 carbines and a Squad automatic weapon (SAW) and 8 low powered firearms to include SMG’s cal.45 pistols and a caliber 38 revolver.
The highest ranking rebel surrenderer was Eleuterio Casal a.k.a.“Nolan,” 58, and former Guerilla Front-34 Secretary/Adviser, Field Guerilla Unit, Field Command 34, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee.
He said that he was tired and wanted to join the mainstream society and start a new life. He also said that life while in the NPA was very hard.
Like Casal, Roland Barrios, 25 years old surrendered because of hardships while in the rebel group.
He said he did not gain anything beneficial from the NPA but hardships and difficulties without proper remuneration contrary to what had been promised to them.
He also said that he was deprived of the luxury to visit his family in times of need.
Of the surrenderers, 9 of them claimed that they were recruited to the rebel movement when they were still minors.
Bernabe Domino said that he was eight years old when he was recruited.
Now, 21 years old, Domino said that the NPA has stolen his youth and losing the opportunity of going to school, too.
Gino Mansinogdanan was 15 years old when he was recruited. He is still a minor at age 17.
Other surrenderers were Julie Licardo, 16 when recruited; Junrey Canudas, 17 when recruited; Jimmy Ayog, 15 when recruited; Reynante Casal, 13 when recruited; Rolando Fuentes, 16 when recruited; Digo Anti-an,13 when recruited; and Fernando Balili Jr., 15 when recruited.
All of them are now adults and stayed in the NPA ranging from two to 24 years.
Uy said that the arming and recruitment of minors violated the Geneva Convention on the protection of minors and children.
However, the NPA rebels have been desperate that the only way to increase their waning forces was to recruit minors in violation of children’s human rights.
Like Barrios and other members of the NPA rebels, they have decided to return to the fold of the law in order to live and lead peaceful lives, Uy said.
He said that the surrenderers also want to avail of the government’s “Gun for Peace Program” and the “Social Integration Program of the OPAPP.
Uy said that the amount of money under the GPP program varies from P2,000 – P10,000 for homemade firearms to P388,500 for a heavy machine gun.