More rebels may yield soon - 3rd ID

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division confirmed reports that it received a number of surrender feelers from active combatants of the New People’s Army (NPA).

Major Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, commander of the 3rd ID, said it is now likely that a number of NPA rebels would soon lay down their arms in the next few months.

This new development seemed to coincide with reports of internal strife within the NPA organization, he said while adding that the military’s internal security operations (ISO) still continue in Panay and Negros Islands.

In Panay, military forces are running after the remnants of the NPA’s Southern and Central Front committees. “But of course, hindi na sila ganun kalakas gaya ng dati,” said Bautista who also emphasized that the government wanted to win peace via the AFP’s Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan.

It is the AFP’s non-traditional approach of winning the peace involving the increased involvement of stakeholders, the national and local government agencies, non-government entities and the entire citizenry in addressing peace and security concerns.

“What we are after is not to be confrontational with them (NPA) because we are offering peace to them for them to abandon their armed struggle regardless of their number,” Bautista said.

The government offers the rebels a choice: peace or armed struggle. “We have been on armed struggle for more than 40 years at napag-iwanan na tayo ng mga neighboring countries natin. So, it’s about time for us to give peace a chance,” he said.

“Ang solusyon dito ay magtulong-tulong tayo in the spirit of bayanihan at para masolusyunan natin ang mga problema at hindi tayo mag-away-away,” said Bautista.

“I hope the NPA will realize that peace is the better option. … After all, we are all beneficiaries and stakeholders of peace. Sana itigil na natin ang away so we could move forward as a nation for our development,” he said. - THE FREEMAN