MANILA, Philippines — Sixteen labor leaders with alleged links to the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered in Laguna yesterday.
Capt. Jaryald Ternio, spokesman for the 2nd Infantry Division, said the surrenderees are workers of a bottling plant in Sta. Rosa.
Ternio said the labor leaders were recruited into the communist movement’s so-called white area of operations to destabilize the industrial sector.
“Four of them are full-time Communist Party of the Philippines members,” Col. Alex Rillera of the 202nd Infantry Brigade said.
Rillera said the surrenderees yielded four handguns.
“NPA rebels are infiltrating industrial areas through labor unions to force the companies to shut down their operations so that innocent employees will be agitated to go against the government, “ Brig. Gen Vicente Danao, Calabarzon police director, said.