NPA surrendered with firearms to Aurora authorities
By Jason de Asis

BALER, Aurora, November 26, 2010-A former member of Sentro De Grabidad Nueva Ecija-Aurora (SDG NE-Aurora) of the New Peoples’ Army (NPA) under Antonio Layko Alias Ka Berto/Ambo operating in Central Aurora and part of Nueva Ecija recently surrendered here to  authorities.

Ltc Kurt A Decapia, Commanding Officer of 48IB which is based in Barangay Calabuanan identified the rebel as Raymond J. Domingo alias ka Arman, 22 years old of Sitio Buloy, Brgy Decoliat, Maria Aurora, Aurora who personally surrendered his M-16 rifle to the army troopers and Aurora Lady Governor Bellaflor  J. Angara-Castillo.
 
Ka Arman lamented that he cannot bear anymore the hardship in the mountains and worries that he might be killed if there’s an encounter, adding that a certain Benjamin Peralta, Alias ka Otoy who is a Political Instructor of the rebels promised him of a better life inside the armed movements but in his two years of stay his recruiter promised failed.

He revealed that only their commanders and their families benefited from the money they collected from businessmen and the people but the ordinary red fighters like him are hungry and his family never receives support from the NPA.

Angara-Castillo gave ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) as immediate cash assistance to Ka Arman while the livelihood assistance worth P18,000.00 for ‘Cow Raising” is still on process wherein the lady governor emphasized that the provincial government is serious in the delivery of services to the people, adding that the province is Insurgency Free that has to be maintained.

The governor said that they are continuing double extra time effort to flourish the province economic development and progress.

Col Felicito Virgilio Trinidad Jr., Brigade Commander of 702nd Brigade handed over the Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) cash incentive in exchanged  of the M-16 Armalite rifle surrendered by Ka Arman.

Col Trinidad said that the cash incentive and livelihood assistance given to Ka Arman or to any former rebels aims to start a new life, adding that the government is calling for the few members of CPP/NPA to surrender and lay their arms and have a new life together with their family especially that the yuletide season is coming.

Trinidad added that the army is always ready to hunt down the rebels in order to protect the people and government democracy that’s why he encourages them to surrender and lay their arms.

Over a 3-year period from 2008 to 2010, there are 56 rebels who returned to the fold of the law and 5 of them surrendered their firearms. Starting from 2009 to 2010 there were 5 encounters, from 2009 to present a total of 24 high powered firearms and 1 low-powered firearm were recovered by the army troopers.

Army records showed that one was reported killed in action (KIA) in the past encounters, adding that the rebels war materials recovered were  two (2) ICOM Radios, four (4) Anti-personnel Landmines, three (3) diesel engines, DVD’s, rebels personal belongings and subversive documents with high intelligence value. (Jason de Asis)