Lumad NPA Girl, Sexually Abused By Fellow Rebel, Surrenders

                            

Bgy New Visayas, Sto Tomas, Davao del Norte – A minor female member of New People’s Army (NPA), of Guerilla Front 34, voluntarily surrendered without firearms to Patil Patrol Base of 60^th Infantry Battalion at Brgy Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte at 3:00 pm of April 2.

In her testimony, Ana, (not her true name), 17 years old from Ata Tribe, a resident of Prk 1, Sitio Muling, Brgy Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte, decided to surrender for she can no longrer endure the hardships coupled with hunger that she experienced in all the tactical operations where she was involved and the constant on-the-run while evading government troops in the mountains.

Her participation in the attempted murder of her uncle and hostage-taking of her two(2) female cousins to facilitate  the  said attempt, made her realized the inhuman side of the movement she was in, aside from the previous kidnappings she was able to participate. 

Worst of all, the declaration of her fellow rebel that she was forced to join and must stay to fullfill the later’s sexual need, had gotten into her nerve. “Pangunsumo lang daw ko.” Ana uttered trembling with tears. “Nisulod lang bya gyud ko kay gibundakan man ko ug AK-47 nga pusil sa atubangan. Kinsay dili mahadlok ana’? Paubanon daw ko sa NPA nga gibuya sa akong papa sa akoa.” (I was just forced to join when the NPA bandits stroke an AK-47, butt on the ground, in front of me. Who will not be afraid of that? They said that I must go with the NPA who had prearranged with my father, to have me as a wife.) Ana further revealed.

Her surrender was made possible through the help of Amy Mier, her former employer prior to her recruitment in the movement, who coordinated with 60IB. She allegedly joined the NPA on December last year and left the group last March 25 this year. She said that being a young female, she was not able to endure the hunger and hardships in the mountains while evading government forces.

LTC LLEWELLYN BINASOY, commander, 60^th Infantry Battalion brought and endorsed the victim to Ms Arlene Semblante, Head of Provincial Social Welfare and Development in Davao del Norte.  She was also taken to Carmen District Hospital (CDH) for medical checkup and Stress Debreifing.  

“We are happy to have saved another life, especially the young soul of Ana. Ibalik natin sya sa kanyang pamilya at tulungan natin, kasama ang lahat ng ahensya ng gobyerno na maaring makatulong para sa bagong buhay ng isa pang anak kasama ang kanyang pamilya.” COL BUENAVENTURA C PASCUAL, 1003^RD (RAPTOR) Brigade Commander, said in an interview as he expresses again the Brigade’s commitment to help and protect our less fortunate constituents, especially our Lumad brothers and sisters who had been deceived and are constantly exploited by the New People’s Army to advance a greedy and inhuman cause. COL PASCUAL added. 

A Peaceful Life Taken Away by Own Comrades

Mati City, Davao Oriental – Ruperto C Cadungog was a great father to his seven children and a loving husband to his wife. He works hard as security personnel only to make both ends meet and provide a decent life for his family. But on Sunday, in front of his pleading relatives, he was killed for one reason that government authorities’ confirmed, he was a former commander of the rebel group New People’s Army who has returned to the fold of law for a new lease in life.

 

Cadungog, known by his former cohorts as Toper, was shot to death 7:45 p.m. at his own residence in Sitio Fairview, Brgy. Central, Mati City, Davao Oriental. Being witnessed by his relatives, this brutal execution sowed fear and, inevitably, trauma preventing them to cooperate and give details to police authorities. After the incident, his kin immediately rushed him to Camillus Hospital but was declared dead due to multiple gunshot wounds.

 

 “This is a manifestation of the barbaric nature of the CPP/NPA as anti-peace and anti-development”, said Lt. Col. Lyndon Paniza, spokesperson of Army’s 10^th Infantry Division who affirmed that NPA’s execution to former members were set to avert possible rebel returnees and may result to surrender feelers. He ensured though that security measures will be undertaken to prevent similar incident.

 

“As President Aquino forged the Peace Agreement yesterday between the GPH-MILF, the CPP, through its Organized Armed Group NPA, is continually sowing terror to peace loving citizens especially those of their comrades who decided to peacefully live a normal life”, Paniza said.

 

Last year, Cadungog surrendered to government troops and was living peacefully working as  security staff at the City Engineers’ Office of Mati City who was accorded with said job by Mayor Michelle Rabat in order to aid him in support to his children who are all at school.

 

Now, his wife is unsure where to start the new life her husband had once tried to create for them. She has no idea how she will support her seven children who may no longer go back to school. She may be clueless of what will happen to them next, but one thing she is sure of, their dreams are now scattered because of his husbands’ once affiliation to notorious NPAs caused him his life.

 

Mayor Rabat, however, has pledged to continually support Cadungog family.

 

As Paniza have said, “NPAs are desperate because of its diminishing force that is why they now resort to threatening their own members and capitalizing recruiting minors.