Filtered by: Topstories
News

Xmas truce inspires rebels to surrender — AFP


The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday said that the Christmas ceasefire between government troops and the New People’s Army has inspired many communist rebels to return to the fold of the law. AFP public affairs chief Lt. Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos said that two batches of rebels have surrendered so far to the military since the truce began on December 16. The ongoing 19-day truce is the longest in more than 10 years. Burgos said that before the truce, rebels were afraid to surrender, fearing that they would be intercepted by troops carrying out military operations. “This time, they know that they would not be harmed because there is (an) ongoing truce…Many want to surrender," said Burgos, citing intelligence information, which he did not elaborate on. “It (ceasefire) encouraged (the rebels to surrender) because they would not be harmed when they go down (from the mountains), Burgos said. However, many of them were being prevented by their commanders, the military officer said. Last week, an NPA leader and his eight men surrendered in Cagayan de Oro City, bringing with them a number of high-powered firearms, including an M60 machinegun. The nine rebels gave themselves up to the custody of Vicente Umano, mayor of that city. Also last week, a number of rebels had expressed their intention of surrendering to the military in San Jose town in Occidental Mindoro. However, while soldiers were negotiating for the surrender of the rebels, their comrades — who had apparently learned of the development — opened fire at the troops. The AFP had claimed that the incident counted as the second violation of the truce by NPA rebels, who had also ambushed militiaman Larry Bustamante in Negros Oriental three days earlier. Communist rebels, however, claimed that it was the soldiers who violated the truce in the Occidental Mindoro shootout, noting that the military had planned the operation. They said soldiers had assaulted a house which was being visited by the rebels. Both sides traded accusations, with the military claiming that one of the rebels who had signified his intention of surrendering — Christian Corpuz Bascos — had indeed surrendered after the brief fighting. The NPA said Bascos was arrested while visiting his girlfriend, along with two companions. Burgos called on the NPA to “allow their comrades who wish to return to the fold of the law" to do so. “Instead of preventing them, they should consider why their own comrades would leave the revolutionary movement and join the mainstream society," Burgos said. — DM/KBK, GMANews.TV