By Jason De Asis
CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga – Three members of armed communist groups voluntarily surrendered to authorities in Central Luzon on Monday, police said.
In a news release Tuesday night, the Police Regional Office 3 (PRO-3) identified the three as Noel Valdez, 39, who surrendered in San Jose, Tarlac; Charlie “Celing” Ramos, 56, in Botolan, Zambales; and Joselito Agunoy, 52, in Licab, Nueva Ecija.
Valdez, a member of Milisyang Bayan, and Ramos, a courier, marketer, and collector for the Regional Guerrilla Unit, each surrendered an improvised shotgun, the PRO-3 said.
It also said Ramos has been on the government’s Order of Battle/Periodic Status Report list since 2004.
Agunoy, meanwhile, was a former member of the Sentro de Gravidad and a part of the Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon – Nueva Ecija Chapter who said he was recruited in 2018 by known insurgent personality Nicomedes Ortiz.
The PRO-3 said Agunoy surrendered a homemade .38 caliber revolver with no serial number and three rounds of ammunition.
The three former rebels are now under police custody for debriefing and documentation, while their surrendered firearms have been impounded and will be subjected to proper disposition.
“The return of these individuals to the fold of the law is a clear testament to the effectiveness of our programs aimed at encouraging those who have gone astray to start anew,” PRO-3 chief Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said.
She noted that with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s whole-of-nation approach, the PRO-3 “remains committed to giving former rebels a second chance to rebuild their lives and become productive members of society.” (PNA)
