Rebel surrenders

By MONTESA GRIÑO

ILOILO City – An active member of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to the Mandurriao district police station.

Abgeor “Ka Jack” Matias, 28, was from Brgy. Osorio, San Remegio, Antique. He used to be under the NPA’s Napoleon Tumagtag Command operating in southern Panay.

Matias has two standing warrants of arrest for multiple murder and frustrated murder issued by Judge Ma. Monina Misajon of Sibalom, Antique in 2004.

According to Chief Insp. Orly Gabinete, Matias cited personal reasons for his surrender.
“He admitted that his group was behind several ambush cases in Antique,” Gabinete added.

After his surrender, Matias was turned over to the Antique Police Provincial Office.

Matias’ surrender came in the heels of the revelation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that 10 towns in Region 6 are being used as training grounds of the NPA.

Three of these towns are in Iloilo Province, said Capt. Lowen Gil Marquez, chief of the 32nd Civil Relations Unit of the AFP. These are the mountainous municipalities of Calinog, Igbaras and Tubungan.

In these areas, Marquez said the rebels are also waging extensive extortion activities.
In Negros Occidental, the NPA training grounds are Cauyan, Hinubaan, Ilog and Sipalay.
Marquez said there is one town each in the provinces of Capiz (Tapaz), Antique (San Remegio) and Aklan.

To prevent from being caught, Marquez said the rebels are hoping from one village to another. Their training camps have become mobile./PN