FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija – Maj. Gen. Andrew D. Costelo, commander of the Philippine Army’s 7th Infantry (Kaugnay) Division, welcomed the surrender of one NPA rebel belonging to the weakened Komiteng Larangang Guerilla West-South Party Committee in Barangay Ebus, Guagua, Pampanga on June 1.
Costelo identified the surrenderee as Fernando Aquino who yielded one M653 rifle, two magazines with 30 rounds, two magazines with 20 rounds, and 93 rounds of ammunitions to the troops of the 703rd Infantry (Agila) Brigade headed by Col. Joseph Norwin D. Pasamonte.
Pasamonte lauded the decision of Aquino to surrender and for him to have a better life with the help of the government through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program.
“The surrender was the result of the intensified information campaign of the government through the ‘Whole-of-Nation’ Approach to convince the remaining supporters of the communist terrorist group to yield and start their life anew outside the terrorist organization. Wala silang mapapala sa pagsuporta at pagsali sa teroristang grupo kundi ang kamatayan at pagkasira ng kanilang kinabukasan. Kaya naman patuloy ang aming panawagan na sila ay sumuko na at ang ating gobyerno ay may programang nakalaan para sa kanila,” said Costelo.
