FOUR female New People’s Army rebels recruited during the time of the late renegade Catholic priest Conrado Balweg surrendered to authorities in Ilocos Norte.
7th Infantry “Kaugnay” Division commander Maj. Gen. Andrew Costelo identified the returnees as alias “Ka Ligaya, Ka Teresa, Ka Elvie, and Ka Marinel,” who are residents of Marcos, Vintar and Carasi in Ilocos Norte.
The four also turned over one M-14 rifle, a US Remington 03-A3 rifle and a homemade shotgun.Costelo said combined members of the Ilocos Norte police and the 24th Infantry Battalion facilitated the surrender of the four rebel personalities to the Marcos and Carasi municipal police.
During interrogation, the four women admitted they joined the terrorist movement after being recruited during the time of Father Balweg, founder of the militant Cordillera People’s Liberation Army.
They said they decided to lie low from their group upon realizing that the government is sincere in putting an end to the communist insurgency through the “whole-of-nation” approach.
Brig. Gen. Krishnamurti Mortela, 702nd Infantry Brigade chief, welcomed the surrender of the four rebels as he encouraged them to support the peace and development initiatives of the government now that they are free from the influence of the terrorist organization.
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