Balik gobyerno na! 71 people consisting of NPA members and supporters withdrew their support to the communist group

Amid the anti-terror bill issue, 71 people consisted of members of the New People’s Army and their supporters expressed their desire to pledge allegiance to the Philippine government.

According to the 6th Infantry Division, the surrenderees were affiliated to the  West Daguma Front of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) of Sultan Kudarat.

Most of them are members of an Indigenous group who were only recruited by the communist group.

Surenderees said that they were recruited by Leon Tacduro also known as Paeng who was the head of Regional Peasant Bureau of Far South Mindanao Region and education head of Sub-Regional Command (SRC)-Daguma.

“The IPs were totally unaware of Paeng’s true nature when they were blindly recruited to be part of the politico-military-structure of NPA in Lebak until they were alarmed after his arrest. This is the very reason for their voluntary withdrawal of support from the group and sworn their allegiance to the government for them to live normally and peacefully,” said 6th IB Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. Clairemont Pinpin.

“This attest that the apprehension of Paeng greatly affected the operations of the SRC-Daguma as their mass supporters were redirected and their plans on establishing mass bases were revealed and hampered,” Lt. Col. Pinpin added.

Lebak, Sultan Kudarat Mayor Frederick Celestial praised the surrenderees for deciding to leave NPA.

“You just made a great decision to abandon the NPA for the good of your families. There’s no future in joining in their organization and that living in peace and harmony is still the best of all,” Mayor Celestial said.

The government vowed to provide them assistance so they could start a new life.