Media worker facilitated the surrender
(PHOTO COURTESY)
TACLOBAN CITY- An alleged member of the New People’s Army (NPA) and his wife surrendered to authorities in Eastern Samar on September 30, citing difficulties living in the mountains and the campaign of the government against their group as reasons for giving up the armed struggle.
‘Ka Cardo,’50, was said to be the political officer while his 49-year-old wife,’ Ka’ May was the finance officer of the sub-regional committee Artic, Browser, Elcon platoon, squad 2 which operates in several towns in Eastern Samar which include the town of Dolores.
The surrender of the two mid-ranking NPA rebels to Governor Ben Evardone on Sept. 30 was facilitated by Luisidro “Bong” Moscosa, a media worker based in Can-avid town, also in Eastern Samar.
Moscosa, who agreed to be named for this story, said that he received surrender feelers from the couple as early as August 19 telling him of their desire to surrender and live a normal life with their 10 children.
According to him, the couple made their desire to surrender through their cousin who is his friend. They first met in an interior village of Dolores, also in the same province, on August 19 and met again on Sept.27 on their way to Borongan to escape and abandoned their former comrades for two years.
While in Borongan City, they stayed in a hotel until they formally surrendered on Sept.30 to Evardone and witnessed by Police Regional Director B/Gen. Rommel Marbil and Eastern Samar police provincial director Col. Matthe Aseo.
It was learned that the couple was among the rebels whose camp was the target of a massive air and land assault by government forces in Barangay Osmeña, Dolores last August 16, 2021.
The attack resulted in the death of 19 rebels inside their camp classified by the government forces as the communist rebel bomb-making facility.
Gov. Evardone provided cash incentive to the couple and for them to receive other assistance being given by the government to NPA surrenderees.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
