After reading so much about terrorists being bribed by the government to surrender it's a little heartening to know that some of their victims are also receiving money.
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| https://news.visayandailystar.com/kids-of-npa-victims-get-assistance/ |
Orphaned children, who had witnessed the summary execution of their parents by suspected New People’s Army rebels on May 13 in Sitio Lower Budlasan, Brgy Trinidad, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, received a cash grant of P50,000 from Cebu-based private groups Tuesday, the Philippine Army said yesterday.
The turnover of financial assistance by the City Social Welfare and Development Office, in behalf of Renault Lao, who organized the Heroes Adventure Challenge in Cebu, to the orphaned children of slain couple Rodrigo and Cerelina Lubay, was held at the office of Guihulngan City Mayor Carlo Jorge Roan Reyes.
The Lubay couple was among the four civilians killed by NPA rebels in the hinterlands of Guihulngan City, with the two other victims identified as Ronilo Quirante and Roger Fat, allegedly in retaliation for the death of 10 rebels during an encounter with the 62nd Infantry Battalion troopers in Sitio Agit, Brgy. Trinidad, Guihulngan City, on March 23.
The encounter also resulted in the seizure of several high-powered firearms, Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said, adding that the Lubay couple was shot dead by rebels in front of their children.
The assistance came from the proceeds of the Heroes Adventure Challenge, that was jointly organized by the Active Hub Fitness Center and the Bike and Brews, in partnership with the Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command.
It was a non-competitive virtual sporting event composed of run, bike distance, and bike elevation categories from July 10 to August 10 in Cebu City.
Elsewhere we read that this money is actually for scholarships.
Leg one is dubbed as the “Hope of the Nation” which intends to raise funds for the scholarship program of the childred affected by the armed conflict between the AFP and the NPA in Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental.
No word on how many children will benefit from this P50,000 scholarship program. It's really a shame too because surrendering rebels get money, homes, and job training from the government and these kids get nothing except what the private sector tosses their way. Why is that? Why do the victims of the NPA get nothing while those who surrender get so much? It is fundamentally unjust.
In Sulu 9 members of Abu Sayyaf surrendered this week.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1472147/9-alleged-abu-sayyaf-members-surrender-in-sulu |
Nine alleged members of the Abu Sayyaf Group surrendered to authorities in Indanan, Sulu, the Philippine military said Wednesday.
The bandits turned themselves over to the 1102nd Infantry Brigade Headquarters last Monday, with their 3 M1 rifles, 1 M1 Garand rifle, 1 Uzi sub machine gun, 1 US Carbine rifle, and KG9 pistol, the Joint Task Force Sulu said in a statement.
“These people have once gone astray. We are glad that they choose a life of peace instead of hiding,” said 11th Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. William Gonzales.
According to an interview conducted by the task force, one of the surrenderees, Totoh Engal, admitted involvement in the Sipadan kidnappings in 2000.
The alleged ASG member also said that he joined the terror group when he was 25 years old and that he was once wounded in an encounter with the military.
Gonzales said those who yielded will receive livelihood assistance from the government.
"These people have once gone astray!!??" That is ludicrous to say. They are terrorists who acted purposefully with intent. One of them was involved in the notorious Sipadan kidnappings in 2000.
On 23 April 2000, six men armed with assault rifles and several rocket-propelled grenades arrived by a speedboat on the Sipadan resort island off the eastern coast of Borneo. They proceeded to abduct 21 individuals from the dining hall where dinner was being served. The hostages, including a Malaysian police officer, three Germans, two French, two South Africans, two Finns and a Lebanese citizen, were herded onto the boats with nine Malaysian and two Filipino resort workers. An American couple and a local marine photographer managed to evade capture unharmed.
During the abduction the hostages were allegedly robbed of their money and jewelry before being forced at gunpoint to swim to the boat waiting offshore. The hostages were then allegedly transported about an hour away to Jolo island, in the Sulu Archipelago of the southern Philippines. Once on Jolo, the captives were allegedly held captive by up to 200 Abu Sayyaf bandits under the command of a Commander 'Robot', a pseudonym of Galib Andang.
The one surrenderee involved in that harrowing incident will now never face justice for his crimes. Instead he will get assistance from the government because at one time he had "gone astray." What a joke. But there is nothing funny about it.
The Army claims the number of NPA in Negros is decreasing. Guess why.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/393702/army-official-number-of-npas-in-negros-decreasing |
The spokesperson of the Third Infantry Division (3ID) of the Philippine Army said that the number of New Peoples Army (NPA) rebels in Negros province has decreased since most of their leaders either surrendered or have been arrested.
Major Cenon Pancito announced this after at least four ranking members of the NPA surrendered to the Philippine Army’s 11th Infantry Battalion last Saturday, August 7.
The 11th IB is a battalion under the 3rd Infantry Division which consisted of troops combatting the insurgents in Negros Island.
The surrenderees, Pancito said, were former leaders of insurgents who conducted previous armed encounters with government troops in Negros.
According to Pancito, some surrenderees told him that one of the most compelling reasons why they decided to give up is the hardships they encountered in the mountain areas of Negros.
The surrenderees also admitted that going from one place to another to hide and regroup is also getting difficult with the intensified operations of government troops against them.
Pancito added that the surrender of ranking members of NPA is proof that their numbers are dwindling not only in Negros but also in some areas of Bohol.
For now, the 11th IB will assist the surrenderees in enrolling in the Enhanced-Comprehensive Local Integration Program to provide them a fresh start.
They are surrendering because of hardships faced in the mountains and because the government will give them some of those sweet bribery benefits. But even though there are NPA surrendering they remain a force to be reckoned with.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1150202 |
New People's Army rebels on Wednesday afternoon snatched and killed a leader of the Philippine Army's (PA) Community Support Program (CSP) Sustainment Team in Barangay Lahug in the municipality of Tapaz in Capiz while on his way to follow up on development projects for the village.
Cpl. Frederic K. Villasis of the 12th Infantry Battalion (12IB) and Lahug councilors Analyn Giganto and Estong Sumaria were on board two motorcycles when they were cut off by a group of rebels in Sitio Owa of the said barangay.
The three were on their way to the municipal hall to follow up on a water system and other development projects.
Maj. Cenon Pancito III, spokesperson of the PA's 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) said on Thursday that based on the information gathered from the locals, around 40 rebels were scattered in groups in the area.
The rebels singled out Villasis as his hands were tied and then was shot three times at the back while the two civilians were made to lie down and were later set free, Cenon said.
The CSP in Lahug culminated in March this year but 33-year-old Villasis, a resident of Sigma, Capiz led a Sustainment Team or left-behind force to prevent the NPA from regaining its influence in the barangay.
“The left-behind force ensures that there is no vacuum and prevent the CPP-NPA to regain Lahug, given that the barangay is within the guerrilla base of the enemy,” Cenon said.
The CSP is the Army's people-centered program to bring peace and development in conflict-affected barangays and an initiative to bring the government closer to the people through an immediate delivery of basic services.
It sounds like they hog-tied him and then murdered him. That is brutal. But if these guys surrender they can avail of all the benefits right? Maybe not but if so that would not be fair to the many who have surrendered but have been involved in murders and thefts and other criminal activities. Apparently the AFP knows who killed this man and are preparing charges.
Along with the NPA apparently the BIFF is also weakening.
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| https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/08/11/news/regions/infantry-commander-says-biff-forces-weakening/1810456 |
The members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) are down to 80 or 90 hiding in the marshland of Maguindanao and will surrender soon.
This is according to Col. Pedro Balisi, commander of the First Mechanized Infantry Brigade.
"In just a matter of time all the extremist gunmen pursuing violent extremism will realize they were misguided and fighting a lost cause," Balisi said.
"More have expressed willingness to surrender, waiting for an opportune time," Balisi added.
Balisi made the statement after the surrender, on separate occasions, of 11 BIFF members who also yielded their high-powered firearms that included cal. 50 machine guns and sniper rifles.
He said the locals in the communities surrounding the marshlands have continued convincing the rebels to surrender peacefully to the government and have normal lives.
"Our focused military operations geared towards them also forced the extremists to surrender," Balisi said.
What is all this nonsense about these terrorists being misguided or misled? They are terrorists. They knew what they were doing. They joined the cause for a reason. That the government is letting everyone get away and rewarding them for it is unconscionable.
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