Centcom chief to NPAs: Surrender guns, choose peace

This photo provided by the 11th Infantry Batallion shows the items seized from the suspected rebels killed in Mabinay town, Negros Oriental on June 18, 2020.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Lieutenant General Roberto Ancan, commander of Central Command (Centcom), appeals to the Communist NPA Terrorist (CNTs) in Visayas to surrender their firearms and choose peace.

This, after five suspected members of a communist-rebel group were killed in an encounter with law enforcers past Thursday midnight, June 18, 2020, in Mabinay town, Negros Oriental.

“To the remaining CNTs, be reminded that justice will always find you. This is a very unfortunate incident and I do not want you to suffer the same fate. Lay down your arms and live peacefully with your families and loved ones before it’s too late,” said Ancan in a statement released to the media on Friday, June 19, 2020.

Read: 5 suspected communist-rebels killed in NegOr encounter

High-powered firearms and other war materials were said to be found in the base where the five suspected CNTs were killed.

The Centcom Commander Ancan commended the operating troops which were composed of the 11th Infantry (LAPU-LAPU) Battalion under 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division, Regional Mobile Force Battalion 7 (RMFB 7) and Mabinay Police, for the success of the operation.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Ramir Redosendo, Commanding Officer of the 11th Infantry Battalion who led the operation, said that the success of the operation was also proof that the residents in the area trusted the law enforcers.

“The successful conduct of this operation is a clear manifestation that the local residents do not want to be deceived again by the lies of these NPA terrorists,” said Redosendo in the same statement issued to the media.

Redosendo said that the whole-of-nation approach to end the local communist armed conflict through the activation of the Negros Oriental Task-Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict (NOTF-ELCAC) has been effective./dbs