By Sarwell Meniano
MAHAPLAG, Leyte – After years of shattered lives as armed rebels in the mountains of Leyte, two siblings found true freedom after leaving the New People’s Army (NPA).
Jessica Darantinao, 35, said life has finally been peaceful since she formally surrendered to authorities and applied for amnesty last year. Her elder sister, Janeth, persuaded her to support the NPA as a member of a left-leaning youth organization in 2013. She became a full-time rebel after three years.
After fighting the government between 2016 and 2017, Jessica realized that all promises of the NPA are lies, prompting her to escape when asked to conduct a meeting with left-leaning organizations in Albuera, Leyte.
“I worked in a private company in Manila for several years before I formally surrendered to the government. I kept my identity secret for fear of my safety. I was made to believe by the NPA that soldiers would torture me if I surrender,” Jessica told the Philippine News Agency.
The turning point was in 2022 when her classmate, who works in the military, informed her of a standing warrant of arrest against her for murder charges supposedly committed in 2018, a year after she abandoned the NPA. Her name was dragged into the cases as an education secretary of the NPA in Leyte.
“Since I have not formally surrendered to the government, the military thought that I was involved in a series of killings. My classmate in the Philippine Army told me that there’s no harm if I would surrender,” Jessica said.
Jessica felt a sigh of relief when the court probationally dismissed her case.
While enjoying freedom, Jessica worried about her older sister Janeth, who was still fighting the government.
Janeth started as a youth activist in 2012 after she dropped out of college for failure to earn money to pay her school fees. She became a full-time NPA combatant in 2016 and held the position of political guide and education secretary.
Janeth recalled how their lives in the mountains were filled with hunger, displacement, and danger for what she later realized was a “senseless” struggle.
“We wanted to help our communities, but instead, we caused more harm than good to the people. This influenced my decision to surrender, but our commander told me not to yield to authorities since soldiers would harm me,” she said.
She managed to escape in 2023 after a meeting with supporters of left-leaning groups in Sogod, Southern Leyte. “I recruited my older sister to join the NPA, and she was the one who convinced me to surrender through letters. Now that we are free, we’re moving on from our dark past,” Janeth said.
She applied for amnesty last year to free herself from criminal liabilities for joining the armed rebellion. “While my amnesty application is being processed, I feel safe now since the government listens to our needs and gave us the chance to start over again,” she told PNA.
Janeth and Jessica now receive various forms of government assistance and interventions through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), which provides livelihood support, skills training, psychological services, and even assistance with their legal cases, among others.
Lt. Col. Edgar Gabia, commanding officer of the 14th Infantry Battalion, said the Philippine Army counts on the participation of former rebels like Jessica and Janeth for the surrender of the remaining active NPA members hiding in the mountains of Leyte and Southern Leyte provinces.
Gabia has also urged the NPA remnants to surrender and not wait to be killed during clashes. “We will not stop conducting focused military operations. Our plea is for them to is to surrender before it’s too late. Now is the right time,” he atressed.
He assured them that their families and communities are ready to welcome them back. (with reports from Desiree Daga and Allysa Verzosa, OJTs/PNA)