IMPASUGONG, BUKIDNON – Tired and weary Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) leader and members laid down their arms to choose peace and surrendered to the 8th Infantry (Dependable) Battalion, 403rd Infantry (Peacemaker) Brigade, Philippine Army in Brgy. Poblacion, Impasugong, Bukidnon last July 3, 2021.
The new surrenderees were identified as Antonio Gayento @Gab/Jano/Gassi/Lagim, 32, Commander, Front Organizational Command (FOC), GF89, North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC); Cynthia Sante @Kim/Mortal, 18, Medic/Platoon Guide, Squad 2, Platoon PBY, GF89, SRC2, NCMRC; and Remark Letonia, @Aswang/Jerom, 18, Supply Officer, Squad 1, Platoon PBY, GF89, SRC2, NCMRC.
According to Gayento, he became exhausted of fighting for the CTG for more than nine years, “Grabe akong kakapoy ug kasubo sa bukid sukad ako nahimong myembro sa NPA. Walay natabang sa akoa ang hukbo mao nabungkag ang akong pamilya tungod sa armadong pakigbisog. Ako dakong nagbasol nganu nga nahimo pa akong myembro ning teroristang grupo,” Gayento emotionally said. (I felt very exhausted and miserable in the mountains after becoming a member of the NPA. They weren’t able to help me. Instead, the armed struggle is the reason why my family got broken. I really regret joining and becoming a member of the Terrorist group).
LTC Edgardo Talaroc Jr, Commander 8IB expressed, “Kami nagapasalamat sa desisyon nila Antonio Gayento ug mga kaubanan niini nga mobalik sa sabakan sa gobyerno ug gipili nga mabuhing malinawon. Nalipay usab kami nga duna na usab pamilya nga naluwas ug pakyas nga mabungkag tungod sa komunistang grupo. Naglaum kami nga daghan pang uban ang mosunod kanila tungod kahibalo kami nga wala na silay laing maadtuan, naglisod na sila sa bukid, kapoy na ug gutom pa.” (We are grateful that Antonio Gayento’s group decided to return to the folds of the law and chose to live a peaceful life. We are also happy that we were able to save another family from being destroyed by the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG). We are hoping that more CTG members will follow their footsteps because we know that they have nowhere else to go, they are struggling in the mountains, they are tired and are hungry.)
BGen Ferdinand Barandon, Commander, 403rd Brigade also said, “The surrender of Gayento will put the CTG in disarray especially that he is one of the leaders under GF89. We will help in order for them to become Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) beneficiaries.” “I am thankful to our peace and development partners such as the Local Government Units (LGUs), Local Government Agencies (LGAs) and other government offices in our area of responsibility because the surrender of Gayento is a living proof that unity and collective efforts will surely bring about the end of our insurgency problem,” Barandon ended.
