DAVAO CITY, Sept. 18 (PNA) -– The Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) on Thursday disclosed that five New People’s Army (NPA) rebels who recently surrendered to the Philippine Army’s 73rd Infantry Battalion were presented to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Sarangani Provincial Director Flor G. Limpin.
Capt. Ernest Carolina, chief of the 10th Infantry Division Public Affairs, said the surrenderees brought with them their firearms — an AK-47 7.62mm assault rifle and an M16 5.56-mm assault rifle.
According to Carolina, the former rebels belong to the indigenous people of Sarangani — one belonging to the B’laan tribe and four to the Kaulo tribe.
Three of the surrenderees were taught to take up arms by the armed group prior to the age of 18, according to their testimonies. In doing so, Carolina said the NPA has violated Republic Act 7610: Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination, in forcing children from these indigenous communities take up arms and participate in armed conflicts which poses extreme hazard and threaten or endanger their survival and normal development as children.
Limpin and the Provincial Social Welfare and Development (PSWD) head Lizette Lopez will present the surrenderees to Representative Steve Chiongbian on Sept. 22 at the provincial capitol.
Meantime, the surrenderees will be undergoing Custodial Debriefing as well as Medical and Psycho-Social debriefing with concerned agencies as part of their reintegration to the community.
“The NPA are not there to help the indigenous people. They have been there for decades exploiting the indigenous people, making use of what they can, including their children,” said Major General Eduardo M. Año, commander of the Army’s 10th infantry Division under which the 73th Infantry Battalion operates.
“We welcome these surrenders very much, because the government’s program is to win the peace, through collaborative efforts in addressing the root causes of conflict in the countryside; but for those who refuse to lay down their arms and continue to exploit youngsters like these, we will go after them using the necessary force,” Año added. (PNA)