THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE COUNTRY? Defense secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro (2nd from right) was the keynote speaker of the closing ceremony of the 2009 Luzon Island Cluster Conference of the League of Municipalities held at Sabin Resort Hotel this week. He was introduced as “the next president of the Philippines”. He also told the audience that he was taking his oath as a member of the administration Lakas-Kampi party the next day, July 24. He is seen here with LMP-Capas, Tarlac Chapter president mayor Reynaldo Catacutan, LMP-Leyte Chapter president mayor Roque Tiu, Kananga, Leyte mayor Elmer Codilla, and LMP Luzon Island Cluster president mayor Winifredo Oco during the closing ceremony of the 2009 Luzon Island Cluster Conference held a Sabin Resort Hotel, Ormoc City, July 23.
One a political leader of Kananga vice mayor
3 NPA’s surrender over the week
Kananga, Leyte – An amazon fighter of the New People’s Army is its latest member to surrender to the authorities, and even turned out to have sidelined as a political leader of Vice-Mayor Macario Lumangtad Jr. here at Brgy. Libertad in the 2007 polls.
The woman was Juvelyn Alona, 29, of Brgy. Libertad, who was accompanied by her husband Melvin Agudo from Sogod, So. Leyte, during the surrender rites before Mayor Elmer Codilla here held July 20, Monday. Agudo is also an NPA fighter.
The former amazon fighter was handed a “cash assistance” of an undisclosed sum, to help her turn a new leaf. Kananga town has a reward mechanism for NPA returnees, which was lauded by defense secretary Gilberto Teodoro in a recent visit to the region as a manifestation of government’s earnest efforts to reach out to its constituents who’ve been waylaid.
Alona told the EV Mail that she joined the movement in 1996 when she was around 17, having been recruited to it by “Ka Mayang”. “Ka Mayang” is now working with the 19th IB, also based here, and is instrumental in the many successes that the Army has been achieving lately.
Alona related she became squad leader and eventually headed the finance and medical team of the Squad Abe of the Nepal platoon of the Northern Leyte Front. She married Agudo in 1998, whom she met during assemblies with other commands. Agudo was a member of the Evelyn Dublin command based in Southern Leyte.
Their union would bear two children, which they left with her parents, as they continued to work in the NPA movement. In the times they joined mainstream society, she even worked as political leader for vice-mayor Lumangtad at their barangay.
Lumangtad has confirmed this, saying that her name appears on his records but clarified that he did not know that she was a member of the NPA.
Alona continued to say that their commitment, however, to the movement began to waver in 2005 when the 19th started its efforts in earnest to dismantle the North Leyte front. They escaped to Mindanao but did not find peace of mind.
A few weeks ago, they returned to Kananga and were told that “Ka Mayang” was already with the government. They then sent feelers they wanted to surrender, paving the way to the ceremony held this week.
Meanwhile, on the same day, two other NPA’s and brothers at that, surrendered to the 19th IB.
They were identified as Romelio Depaz and Roger Depaz, both residents of Brgy. Cagbana in Burauen, Leyte.
They surrendered and sought refuge at the 19th IB headquarters in this town with Romelio giving up one Springfield rifle.
The Depaz brothers revealed their sufferings and hardships they experienced just to survive. These and their separation from their respective families made them decide “enough of these foolishness.”
The two were immediately presented by the Army to Mayor Fe Renomeron, the municipal Mayor of Burauen, Leyte, who also gave the surrenderees cash incentives and the promise of livelihood package.
Mayor Renomeron expressed gratitude to the two for returning to the fold of the law. The Mayor also called on other NPA members who want to live a normal life to avail of the government’s program for rebel returnees which is open even to the core leaders of the NPA. By Josephine P. Serseña with a report from PIA
