Mawab, Davao de Oro — A total of 150 members of the underground mass organization and regular New People’s Army (NPA) members break free from the clutches of insurgency and pledge loyalty to the Republic of the Philippines during the closing program held at Lorenzo National High School, Mawab, Davao de Oro, Friday ( Sept 11).
During the program, a testimony of Joy (not her real name), a medic of the Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda (SYP) of the Southern Regional Committee 2 (SRC 2) shared that she joined the NPA because she was assured of financial support to her 2 children. “Tagaan daw ko nila og 800 pesos matag usa nako ka anak, mao misulod ko kay single mom man pod ko”, she said in her dialect. (They promised a financial support of Php 800 pesos for each of my 2 children, so I joined as it would be of help for me as a single mother.) Joy left the NPA when she learned that the support was cut off several months after she joined.
The other 2 testimonies from alias Tatay , president of the farmers union in the whole “ComVal” and alyas Silyo, SP sa lokalidad sa Concepcion underscored that they were convinced that the “pakigbisog” or the revolution was for them. To their dismay, they only witnessed ‘coruption’ in their underground mass organization.
Hon Ruperto Gonzaga III, municipal mayor of Mawab was elated because the participants answered the call of the government to start anew and live a peaceful life with the government.
For his part, Hon. Ruwell Peter S. Gonzaga, congressman of the 2nd District, Davao de Oro, challenged everyone as he said “We in the government will give you something that would somehow compensate you in attending this seminar leaving your living behind. But let us ask you too, what will you give to the government after this seminar then?”. The congressman asked everyone to contribute to the peace building by telling to authority the where about of the remaining insurgents and more importantly, by staying loyal to the government.
LTC. Sonny E. Gonzales, Commanding Officer of the 71st Infantry KAIBIGAN Battalion (71IB), in his part, emphasized that peace and order is not just an obligation of the men in uniform but a shared responsibility. “Denouncing the CPP-NPA and re-assuring the government of your loyalty is a good start in attaining genuine peace where the next of our generation will be the ones to benefit”, he concluded.
Also present was Col. Glen Jun C. Calambuhay, Deputy Brigade Commander of the 1001st Infantry PAGASa Brigade who congratulated all the participants for their courage of choosing to start anew.
The 150 participants comprise the 10 former regular NPA members, 40 Sangay ng Partido (SP) sa Lokalidad, 30 Milisya ng Bayan, and 70 mere mass supporters from the barangays of Andili, Concepcion, Sawangan and Malinawon, all of Mawab, Davao de Oro.
They underwent sets of lectures and workshops in 3 days which includes psychosocials, spiritual enhancement and programs and services of the national government agencies, TESDA, DOLE, DTI, DA and DSWD.
Communist NPA Terrorist Denounced
Early morning on the fourth day, the 150 locals conducted peace rally at the bus terminal of Mawab, Davao de Oro. They burned the flag of the CPP-NPA-NDFÂ and the effigy of Joma Sison and signed their declaration of persona non-grata which means that they will no longer welcome the terrorists in their communities.
This denotes their full support to the government while rejecting the Communist NPA Terrorists.
Similar activities were also conducted the other month in the municipalities of Mabini and Maco both of Davao de Oro. (DPAO 10th ID, OIC Michael Manguhig, RPN DXKT Davao)