Communist shadow government officials withdrew support from CNN-NPA-Terrorists

By Jong Cadion

ZAMBOANGA CITY (February 22, 2018) - Three councilmen of the Kilusang Rebolusyonaryong Barangay (KRB) withdrew their support from the communist movement at 3pm Wednesday (February 21), military official said.

Lieutenant Colonel Harold M Cabunoc, the Commanding Officer of the 33rd Infantry (Makabayan) Battalion, said that the councilmen were deceived by the communist movement in joining the 'village level elections' in 2017.

"They were made to believe that it was a regular election of village leaders. They swore their oath of duty before unfamiliar people who visited the village," said Cabunoc.

Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) Cpt Jo-Ann D. Petinglay said that the three KRB councilmen, Tikay Ambag, Wilnard Basalo, and Crisanto Colano have pledged to withdraw their support from the Platoon Arabo and KALUHAMIN, a communist affiliated organization which organized Sitio Datal Bonglangon as a communist mass base with its own armed group called Platoon Cosmod.

Wilnard Basalo, 45, said that the rest of the KRB councilmen were hauled by KALUHAMIN to Koronadal City to join the protest rallies.

"We will not support the NPA anymore. We just want to harvest our corn as soon as we get back to our village," he said.

Cpt Petinglay further said that the Joint Task Force Central through its 33IB has facilitated the return of the internally displaced people of Sitio Datal Bonglangon back to their village. At least 20 families have remained in Barangay Sto. Niño here while about 20 families have joined KALUHAMIN in conducting protests in Koronadal City.

Tarcilla Danyan, 28, the daughter of the slain tribal leader, Datu Victor, has requested the Army to protect their community.

"I humbly request that an Army detachment must protect us against the NPA. We want to live peacefully," she said.

"We would also like to request the local government to help us. Until today, we don't have water system and electricity. Our road access is so difficult," she added.

Cpt Petinglay stresses that from January 1 to February 18, 2018, fifty-five communist terrorists, three of whom are members of the Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee and 52 of whom are members of Guerrilla Front 73, returned to the fold of the law.

“I am very pleased to welcome them back to the government side and accord them the opportunity to live a life far from what they have been facing before,” said Joint Task Force Central Commander, Major General Arnel Dela Vega.

For this year alone, the troops recovered three firearms of the WMRPC and 21 firearms of GF 73, cpt. Petinglay added.

“The Joint Task Force Central, in collaboration with the local government units, continues to sustain the pressure on the communist terrorists operating in Central Mindanao,” said Lieutenant General Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command.