NPA member in Surigao Sur abandons armed movement
By Cpt Joe Patrick Martinez
CAMP EVANGELISTA, Cagayan de Oro City, May 8 (PIA)
- A regular member of New People’s Army (NPA) under Guerilla Front 14 of North
Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) finally abandoned the armed
struggle and voluntarily surrendered to the army’s 75th Infantry “Marauder”
Battalion at Camp Jaime M. Ferrer, Barangay Maharlika, Bislig City at 10:50
a.m. Wednesday, May 6, 2015.
The former rebel was identified as Junrey Uyamag
Dadumo Alias Bam-Bam of Squad-1, Platoon-3 of GF14, NEMRC. Their group operates
at the hinter areas of the municipalities of Bunawan, Rosario, Trento and Santa
Josefa, all of Agusan del Sur. He brought along with him his M16 rifle with
short steel magazine loaded with 19 rounds of live ammunition.
In his statement, he finally decided to abandon
the armed struggle due to the realization of the futility of their efforts and
the hardships he experienced at the mountains especially of being away from his
loved ones and having no peace of mind.
“Finally, our brother have decided to go back to
peaceful living. As I said before, we will be expecting more NPAs who will go
back to mainstream society because the issues their leaders are using are no
longer relevant. Through the Bayanihan Activities, the programs and projects
for our people especially in far flung areas are now being implemented,” said
4th Infantry Division commander MGen Oscar Lactao.
“We are calling the peace-loving people of Caraga
to help us in our peace advocacies especially in our efforts of encouraging our
brothers and sisters to lay down their arms and join us in our Bayanihan
programs that will help create a peaceful community that is ready for further
development,” MGen Lactao added.
Dadumo will receive support from the Comprehensive
Local Integration Program (CLIP) of the Local Government Unit to help him when
he go back to his community and start new life with his family. He will also
receive cash assistance from the AFP Guns for Peace Program as remuneration for
the firearm he surrendered. (PA/PIA-Caraga)
SurSur guv condemns NPA on holding two capitol
guards captive
By Greg Tataro, Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, May 8 (PIA) –
Surigao del Sur Governor Johnny Pimentel issued on Wednesday, May 6, 2015,
during the Crisis Management Committee (CMC) meeting under the Provincial Peace
and Order Council (PPOC), a statement strongly condemning the acts of the New
People’s Army (NPA) rebels who have been holding two capitol guards captive
since April 27, 2015.
At the same time, he also aired his appeal to
cause the immediate release of the victims—Senior Officers 2 (SO2) Feliciano
Polan and Juan Salazar.
The closed door meeting held at the Provincial
Governor’s Office (PGO) started at around 9:30 a.m. was attended, among others,
by PPOC-CMC members particularly the top brasses of the PNP, AFP as well as the
DILG aside from Fr. Ronald Josoy from Tandag Diocese, in lieu of Bishop Nereo
Odchimar, and PIA Infocen Manager Nida Grace Barcena-Tranquillan.
Two Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)
staff were also present—Jail Officer 3
(JO3) Robert Espinoza, asst. warden, representing warden Jail Sr. Inspector
Nelson Sumando, and a companion Jail
Officer 1 (JO1) Eula Olvida.
Tandag City administrator Alexander Pimentel and
retired P/SSupt. Julian Delicona, Surigao del Sur police/military affairs
consultant, were likewise present.
During the CMC meeting both P/SSupt. Narciso
Verdadero, PNP acting provincial director and Col. Isidro Purisima, commander
of the 402nd Infantry Brigade under the 4th Infantry Division (4ID) of the
Philippine Army (PA) rendered their respective “briefing” to the body with the
governor, being the chairperson, intensely listening in.
Towards the end, Governor Pimentel told the
committee that until such time the captors will come in contact with him, both
the PNP and AFP can still go with their normal operations.
It was learned that joint pursuit operations being
conducted by AFP and PNP forces have not ceased since the time of the
abduction. One of which even resulted to
an encounter with alleged rebel-captors on April 30 that ended in getting hold
of several guns and ammunitions, medicines, five backpacks, and other evidences
found at the clash site in Sitio Boringon, Barangay Mahaba, San Agustin town,
64.36 kilometers south, this city.
Seized
“items” were shown to media during a press conference on May 6, 2015 at
the headquarters of the 36th Infantry Battalion with Lt. Col. Anastacio
Suaybaguio, Jr., battalion commander, 402nd Brigade deputy commander Col. Al
Jaji, and P/Chief Insp. Edwin Noguera at the head table.
Definitely, “swapping” is out of the picture,
Pimentel assured the committee, referring to a possible demand of freeing other
NPA inmates in case of a negotiation.
Some 13 high-risk inmates detained at Tandag District Jail from Lianga
District Jail are NPA members if not belonging to an organized crime group, it
was learned.
Meanwhile, the governor expressed confidence that
Polan and Salazar, both capitol-employees, are going to get freed soon, being
non-combatants besides and employed with a job classified as “civilian in
nature.”
It can be recalled that Polan and Salazar were
among the five escorts of NPA inmates Jojean Alameda and Robert Rivas for a
supposed court hearing at Branch 28 Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Lianga town,
90 kilometers south, this city, when ambushed at 7:45 a.m. on April 27, 2015 at
Barangay Amontay, Marihatag town, still 39.5 kilometers away from destination.
Luckily,
Polan and Salazar as well as Alameda were not hurt during the ambush.
However, the rebels, estimated at a hundred, upon
rescuing Alameda, have taken Polan and Salazar captive while leaving behind JO3
Alfredo Galindo, JO1 Mardenver Balan, and JO1 Roger Sarvida along with another
NPA-inmate Rivas who all sustained injuries. (NGBT/Radyo ng
Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
SurSur all set for 30th GSP Eastern Mindanao
Regional Encampment
By Greg Tataro, Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, May 8 (PIA) – As
host, the province of Surigao del Sur is all set for the 30th Regional
Encampment of the Girl Scout of the Philippines (GSP) Eastern Mindanao Region
on May 9-14, 2015 at the Surigao del Sur Sports Center.
With the theme “I Imagine, I Achieve, I Serve,”
Governor Johnny Pimentel, who called up a final meeting on Wednesday for all
working committees, told media that everything is already in place.
It can be recalled during the initial meeting on
April 20, 2015 at the capitol conference room, “no stone was left unturned” on
the details of tackling all GSP activities together with the concerned
officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) Division Offices here.
All the way from physical arrangement, peace and
security, souvenir programs and awards, reception, food, health and sanitation,
as well as promotion up to the “off-sites” of the affair—name it—have been
thoroughly threshed out and addressed.
Off-sites are venues for particular activities
other than the Surigao del Sur Sports Complex.
The final meeting was only a matter of following
up everything about the much anticipated event with an expected delegation of
more than a thousand in conservative estimate, it was learned.
Being used to hosting grand occasions, to cite in
particular the 2014 and 2015 Caraga Regional Athletic Meet (CRAM), which was
held here twice in a row, Pimentel has once again been “hands on” every step of
the way for the preparation, observers say. (NGBT/Radyo ng
Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
