| Photo from the Bohol provincial government
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – A total of 61 former rebels and their symphatizers have made a promise to return to the fold of the law and support the peace and order initiatives of the Bohol provincial government.
The 61 surrenderees appeared at the Capitol during the joint meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and the Provincial Anti Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) last Oct. 18 to take their oath of allegiance.
“Makalipay sa dughan nga 61 ka CPP/NPA/ NDF mi surrender nato karong adlawa. Salamat sa pagsalig sa among administration,” Bohol Governor Erico Aris Aumentado said in a social media post.
The governor said it means a lot to him that these individuals, who rebelled against the past administrations, have learned to trust him and his administration.
He also expressed hope to finally see communist insurgency in their province “come to an end.”
As a sign of goodwill, the provincial government is giving the 61 surrenderees P10,000 each to help them start a new life.
In an advisory, the Bohol provincial government said that the surrenderees “were part of not less than 10 mass organizations long suspected by the military and law-enforcement agencies.”
These include the Bol-anong Artista na May Diwang Dagohoy (BANSIWAG), Bol-anong Kahugpungan ng Kilusang Nangingisda (BOKANA), Sandigan sa Bol-anon Kababayen-an ang Mag-uma ug Nangingisda(SABAKAN), Hugpong Mag-uumang Bol-anon (HUMABOL), Talibon Trinidad Integrated farms (HUMABOL-TTFA) and Kabatan-onan Para sa Kalamboan sa Nasod (KAPAKANAN).
Of the 61 surrenderees, 38 were from Trinidad town; 10 from Candijay; five from Mabini; two each from Carmen, Bilar and Catigbian; and one each from Alicia, Guindulman and Talibon.
Mita Tecson, head of the Provincial Social Welfare, said that two of those who surrendered used to be active members of the underground movement Bohol Party Committee. They also turned over .38 revolvers to authorities.
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