By MAR S ARGUELLES
LEGAZPI CITY: Having been a victim of sexual advances by her superior
in the armed rebel movement, a female combatant of the New People’s Army (NPA)
finally surrendered to military authorities recently, a Philippine
Army (PA) officer disclosed last Monday.
Loradel Esquilon, alias Ka Sisa and Ka Megan, logistics and finance
officer of the NPA’s Komiteng Probinsyal
(KOMPROB) Sorsogon, voluntarily surrendered to the 31st Infantry Battalion in
Juban, Sorsogon, according to Army Capt. Arthur Eamiguel, 903 Infantry Brigade
spokesperson.
Esquilon was presented to Sorsogon Gov Raul Lee last Thursday by the
Army’s 903rd Infantry Brigade, Eamiguel
said.
The Army brigade spokesperson said Esquilon’s voluntary surrender
qualified her to avail of the government’s Comprehensive Local Integration
Program (CLIP).
Under the CLIP and the AFP Guns for Peace Program, Esquilon after
surrendering her M16 rifle with magazines, ammo, and subversive documents
received the amount of P50,000 as part of the firearms remuneration package and
other existing assistance programs from concerned line agencies of the
government.
Esquilon, the only daughter of a farmer, revealed that she joined the
NPA movement in 2005 after she was promised with monetary support and a better
life.
She disclosed that the repeated sexual advances made by Andres Hubilla
alias KaMagno, a top NPA leader in Sorsogon, and the harsh life in the
hinterlands prompted her to leave the movement.
She cited how Hubilla tried to rape her several times but was fortunate
enough to escape the advances.
She, however, claimed that there were other female NPA members who fell
into Hubilla’s bestial desires.
Despite the hardships she encountered she said she finally decided to
come out into the mainstream society only this year after she was convinced of
the government’s good programs for NPA surrenderees.
She disclosed she underwent several trainings and became a trusted
follower of Andres Hubilla until she was designated as finance and logistics officer
of the central committee covering the province of Sorsogon.
She claims that as finance officer, she received more or less P3
million every month as collection money from businessmen, construction
companies implementing road and other infrastructure projects, and even from
government officials.
She said they were able to collect more money during election period
with the rebels’ imposition of PTCs (Permit to Campaign) to candidates desiring
to campaign in rebel-infested or rebel-influenced territories.
Col Joselito Kakilala, Commander of the 903rd Infantry Brigade,
Philippine Army, assailed the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) for
violating the rights of their female NPA members. – Bicol Mail
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