COTABATO CITY — Two members of the New People’s Army in Bukidnon province, who admitted involvement in extortion and coddling of criminals on orders of their commanders, pledged allegiance to the government on Friday, November 1.
Major Gen. Allan Hambala, commander of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, told reporters on Monday that Ronie Aryon Bagubay, 47, and the 34-year-old Loloy Abaro Puklawan agreed to surrender through the joint intercession of Lt. Col. Antonio Bulao, commanding officer of the 89th Infantry Battalion, and his immediate superior, Brig. Gen. Marion Angcao of the 1003rd Infantry Brigade.
Hambala said local executives and leaders of indigenous tribes in Bukidnon helped convince Bagubay and Puklawan to return to the fold of law as a prelude to their reintegration into mainstream society.
They turned in their firearms, an M4A1 Carbine rifle and a KG9 machine pistol, before they renounced their membership in the NPA in the presence of Army officials in a simple rite organized by the 89th IB and the 1003rd Infantry Brigade, held at Barangay Kibungcog in San Fernando, Bukidnon.
The duo had told reporters that they decided to yield to the 89th IB for fear of getting implicated in the criminal activities of the few remaining leaders of the now moribund NPA.
Bagubay and Puklawan had also separately confirmed that the strength of the NPA in Bukidnon had been weakened by the surrender of no fewer than 300 guerillas to the police and military in the past three years.
They both admitted having forced hapless farmers in hinterland towns in Bukidnon to shell out money and food periodically on the order of their commanders, who are also known for providing sanctuary to dealers of shabu and marijuana who shared to them fractions of earnings from the illegal drug trade.