TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA) –Lest they could be caught in potential crossfire as the remnants of the New People’s Army (NPA) kept coming to convince them to take arms anew, five mass supporters of the dismantled Bohol Party Committee have asked the government’s facilitation in their voluntary surrender.
Although not listed in the Joint Army, Police Intelligence Committee’s periodic status reports, the five individuals were presented to the San Isidro Bohol Sangguniang Bayan in session, accompanied by Bohol Provincial Police Office’s Provincial Police Intelligence Unit, Armed Forces of the Philippines counterparts, and the Bohol Muslim Community Peace Movement (BMC-PeM) Inc. who met discreetly to facilitate the surrender.
It may be recalled that about 10 AM December 28, 2002, a group of men armed with .45 caliber pistols and Kalashnikovs identified as remnants of the dismantled Bohol Party Committee (BPC) who were camped in the forested part of Barangay Baunos in San Isidro, went down to the community to demand food from the residents.
Possibly feeling confident they would not be reported as the village used to be a strong mass base, the rebels did not imagine that somebody would report their presence.
A short firefight ensued when the responding government troops pursued the suspected members of the communist terrorist group, but the rebels used the thick forests to elude the soldiers.
By May 12, 2023, another encounter happened within the vicinity of Barangay Baunos.
Newspaper reports that elements of the Philippine Army and the PNP Provincial Mobile Force Company figured in yet another encounter and running gun battle in Abehilan, San Isidro and Tabu-an, Antequera, which left a suspected member of the communist terrorists dead.
Perhaps realizing that the NPAs would continue to keep coming back to regain their mass base and provide them with safe harboring, five members sought the government’s help, so they too can be protected and processed to finally live in peace.
Over the development, Bohol Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict coordinator and Provincial Peace and Order Council member Romeo Teruel said Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado has tasked the Task Force to initiate the process and possibly grant the package of benefits of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program to the surrenderees.
The surrenderees whose names have been withheld for security purposes, come from Barangays Baunos, Bantolinao and Cansague Sur.
Military intelligence reports also bare that the remnants of the BPC, armed with a handful of firearms, when they are in the first district, operate in the parts of barangays Abehilan, Cansague Sur, and Cambansag of San Isidro, part of barangays Cabayugan, Camias, Sojoton, Brgy Sampoangon, and Banlasan Gamay all of Calape as well as barangays Campatud, Ticugan and Genemoan of Loon, Bohol.
Last July 8, 2023, again responding to the reports by community residents, government troops encountered more or less nine remnant members of the communist terrorist movement under the defunct BPC, led by Domingo Compoc, also known as Ka Eloy, Ka Jing, Ka Cobra at the forested part of Purok 6, barangay Dagohoy in Bilar town.
While no one was reportedly injured on both sides, the government forces captured war materials, personal belongings and subversive documents in a harboring camp, well within the vicinity of the community of mass base supporters who are also relatives of Compoc.
Last March of this year, another encounter happened in Barangay Hanopol Norte, in Balilihan town.
Reports continue to come saying the remnants of the armed terrorists would usually frequent the communities they used to use as harboring areas before, but with the presence of communication gadgets available to people in the community, the group has been on the move always so they could not be pounced upon by the government troops.
With this development, Teruel and Task Group Bohol sounded the call again for former members who are now living peacefully to formally come out and clear their names, as the government may have a package of benefits including livelihood assistance, firearms remuneration and goodies to support their living a new life.
Even with the soft arm of the law, the government, through its troops promised to continue the conduct of joint enhanced military and police operation (JEMPO) targeting the Communist NPA Terrorist remnants. (PIA-7/Bohol)
