Military presents 4 rebel returnees

Four of five people who claimed to be former members of the New People's Army in Bohol were presented yesterday morning to the media at the office of Lt. Col. Oscar Lasangue, Commander of the 3rd Civil Relations Group based at the Central Command.

Ranulfo Daydora, alias "Ka Bingo", 40, married, of Inaghuban, Bilar; Francisco Payot, alias "Ka Amado", 46, married, of Sta. Cruz, Batuan; Sofronio Labadan, alias "Ka Dimudlaw", 54, of San Isidro, Sierra Bullones; and Antonio Moring alias "Ka Junrex", 29, single, of Alicia in Bohol said that they surrendered to authorities to avail of the government's amnesty program in the hope of "living a normal life". Meanwhile, Bernard Banal of Cagong-Cagong, Bohol was not around yesterday for unknown reason.

Lasangue said that the four were regular members of the NPA whose tasks were to initiate and participate in rallies held at their areas.

The rebel returnees told reporters yesterday that they decided to surrender so that they can start a new life together with their respective families.

Daydora admitted yesterday that he was one of the supporters of the NPA in their place in 1982. During that time, his two brothers were members of the rebel group. He said that his brothers both died during an encounter with the military.

He joined the movement in 1985 and became the chairman of the propaganda organizing team at their place. He further revealed that it was made a rule among them that once one of their members would get wounded, the commander would finish him off or task the team leader to carry out the execution so that once he is apprehended he could not spill any details to the military that "might put the cause in danger".

Daydora surrendered in 2002, saying he "could not understand anymore how the movement was run."

Payot, for his part, said he started joining the group in 1998 after he "mortgaged his tilled land when one of the members of his family got sick."

He said that the group convinced him to join them with sweet words of assurance that he will have his land back, but this promise failed. He experienced encounters with the military three times within four years of being a member of the NPA movement. He said there were times that their wounded comrades were finished off by their commander or by the team leader to prevent the rest of the group from being tracked down.

Realizing that lives are hopeless under the movement, Payot surrendered to authorities, he said.

Meanwhile, Labadan said that within the four years of his being a member of the NPA, which began in 1992, he became chairman of the "pundok sa mag-uuma" in Sierra Bullones town, but denied he got involved in encounters with military troops.

He said he was part of the team that organized their group and that he was the one who provided the group information about the military, while the rest were in hiding.

As for Moring, he disclosed that he became a member of the NPA in 1999. He surrendered April of last year.

He admitted becoming a spokesperson for Anak Bayan in Bohol and was active in attending regional rallies, and of posting propaganda or campaign materials of Anak Bayan and Anak Pawis.

Moring yesterday said that Anak Bayan is a legal front of the NPA that organized and molded them to destabilize the Arroyo government. - Norvie S. Misa