THE National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said the recent death of a ranking New People’s Army leader in Visayas during a military operation should enlighten other rebels to surrender.
NTF-ELCAC executive director Ernesto Torres Jr. made the remarks three days after the death of Martin Colima, alias Moki, secretary of the Sub-Regional Committee (SRC) Sesame of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee operating in Samar and Eastern Samar.
Colima died in a firefight with Army soldiers last Saturday in Barangay San Gabriel in Borongan City, Eastern Samar where Colima’s group was reportedly engaged in extortion and other “terroristic activities.
Torres said the death of Colima “should serve as an eye-opener for the remaining insurgents to lay down their arms, peacefully surrender and avail the government’s amnesty program.”
“The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict calls on the remaining members of Colima’s group to peacefully surrender and abandon the senseless armed struggle so as not to suffer the same fate as what happened to their leader,” said Torres.
Torres said the death of Colima proves the “weakened state” of the NPA in the Samar provinces, adding the insurgents are no longer welcomed by the people.
The military has said residents reported the presence of the rebels in their community. Troops promptly conducted a combat operation, leading to the encounter with the group of Colima.
“Let the CPP-NPA also know that their presence in these communities is no longer welcomed and what happened to the group of Colima should serve as a strong warning against the CTGs (communist terrorist groups),” said Torres.
“There are no more ‘NPA mass bases’ to speak of that for decades the CTGs had exploited to the detriment of poverty-stricken residents in such communities,” added Torres.
Torres said the communist insurgency in the country would be eliminated in due time. Military estimates placed the NPA strength at more than 1,000 men.
“For the sake of peace, unity, and development, we reiterate our ardent appeal to all the CPP-NPA remnants to choose life rather than face senseless death over a senseless and irrelevant ideology,” said Torres.
Torres urged the remaining rebels to “go back to your families and become productive and law-abiding citizens and actively participate in nation-building.
“Over the past five decades, your so-called Maoist-inspired revolutionary ideals became irrelevant if not obsolete in contemporary times,” Torres added.
