MAASIM, SARANGANI: About 55 communist rebels have surrendered to the government, renounced their armed struggle and vowed to support the economic programs of the municipality.
The group surrendered July 27 at the municipal gym in Maasim, where vast pineapple plantations have given jobs to hinterland families.
Most of the rebels were unarmed as they were mostly propagandists, medics and a few combatants who said they had grown tired of fighting the government.
It was the second mass surrender this month in Sarangani under a local government program to turn fertile hinterlands into production areas by building farm-to-market roads and bringing in investors.
The first surrender was in Malapatan town on July 18 when 10 members of the New People's Army turned themselves in. The rebels handed over their weapons.
The rebels who surrendered in Maasim belonged to Front 73 of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), military officials said.
In surrender ceremonies presided over by military and local government officials, the surrenderees burned the CPP flag and stacks of subversive documents and propaganda materials.
"Salamat kay gitagaan mi ug dakong pagtagad sa gobyerno (We are grateful that we were given opportunity by the government)," said former NPA member Anthony "Ka Gabriel" Arinsulat.
"We guarantee that we will help others realize and make them understand the program of the government," he added.
From 1982 to the early 90s, the hinterlands of Maasim town had been a battleground between communist rebels and government forces.
But in 2004, Mayor Aniceto Lopez, Jr. succeeded in making the town's economic turnaround by bringing Dole Philippines' expansion program to the hinterlands due to stable peace and order condition.
The rolling hills of Barangay Tahakayo now hosts around 2,000 hectares of pineapple farms under Dole's growership program which provides livelihood to the B'laan community there.
"We see Maasim now on its way towards progress not only because of your leaders, but because of our unity," Lopez said.
"We have only one government, one flag. Let us support it because we now see development," the mayor said.
Ex-rebel propagandist Reynaldo Peras, 43, said he joined the communist party in 1984.
He was trained to organize communities and advocate revolution for socio-political change.
"Now I have no problems with the government. We believe what Mayor Lopez told us that we cannot improve our lives if we continue to cause trouble here," Peras said.
Peras and his wife have eight children and now make a living through farming in a nearby barangay.
"Nakita nila na may pagkakataon silang magbagumbuhay dahil 'yan ang pangunahing programa ni Mayor Lopez," said Col. Daniel Soriano, deputy brigade commander of the 1002nd Brigade operating in Region 12.
Soriano disclosed more than a hundred rebels in the area were willing to join the government soon.
"Bawal na ngayon ang mga pulitikong nakaupo lang sa opisina," Governor Migs Dominguez stressed.
The governor, who was overwhelmingly elected for a second term in the last elections, often visits the countryside.
The province has seen no violent encounters between rebels and government troops in the past four years, building people and investors' confidence in government.
"You tell others that there is no reason for fighting now. Kami ay nasa likod ninyo para alalayan kayo at mabigyan ng magandang kinabukasan ang inyong mga anak ," the governor told the former rebels.
The local government has organized the surrenderees into an association in order to give them full assistance.
SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE