DAVAO CITY — Captain Ryan Layug, spokesperson of the Philippine Army’s 403 Brigade on Sunday September 1, was surprised when he received letters from the youth unanimously asking the members of the New People’s Army (NPA) to “Surrender! It’s not too late”
Layug was invited to talk about the National Training Service Program at Bukidnon State University (BukSU), as he finished his talk he asked the participants to answer “If you are to write a letter to NPA what would you say?”
Hundreds wrote their message on a piece of paper while others sent their message on Facebook messenger.
The students wrote the following messages for the NPA members:”Dear NPA, it’s not too late for change. We will welcome you back here (in our communities),” one of the students’ messages stated.
One message reads: “Hi anak sa Ginoo ????
Dili pa ulahi ang tanan para sa pagbag-o
Kita tanan gi aghat sa Ginoo nga mo subay sa maayong dalan. Busa mintras may panahon pa pag bag-o na
Kami nga mga estudyante sa BUKSU nag ampo ug nag laom nga unta maangkon nato tanan ang kalinaw pinaagi sa panaghiusa????
May God bless and guide you always ” Sent by Myra Fe thru FB Messenger.
“Pwede po ba na itigil nyo na po ang mga ginagawa ninyo? God has a plan para sa inyo and we should be united”
“Dear NPA, its not too late for change. We will welcome you back here (in our communities)”
“Unta magbag-o namo, ayaw ninyo ipataas ang hatred sa inyong life, sana dumating ang araw na maging mabuti kayong mamamayan sa Pilipinas. God Bless!
Layug on his Facebook said “I was not expecting them to submit letters convincing NPA to come home, I just told them if you were to write a letter to NPA what would you say. They can submit it online thru our FB page (403rd Infantry Peacemaker Brigade) or on a piece of paper. I was overwhelmed, I collected over a thousand papers with messages asking them to leave the movement and return home . Our FB Page was also flooded with messages”.
Army’s 403rd Brigade Commander BGen Edgardo De Leon said “the big turn out of letters appealing for NPAs to return to the fold of the law is a reflection of the students’ desire for peace in the communities they are in. It is also a manifestation of the students’ rejection of the culture of hatred and violence”
Bukidnon is one of the Mindanao provinces where the rebels maintain their stronghold; lately however, people are coming out to denounce the atrocities of the group.
“It is also a manifestation of the students’ rejection of the culture of hatred and violence,” De Leon added. -ezc-newsline.ph
