High ranking rebel

official surrenders

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Nov 5 (PIA) –Losing as much ground physically and ideologically, a battle-scarred local rebel fighter and top official with 30 years of battle experience in the underground movement, finally laid down his fire-arms and offered his hands in peace in a gesture of surrender to local authorities.

Elizar Samorano Nabas, who used multiple aliases Kepli, Yokyok, Dilo, Jinggoy and Nonoy when he was still with the underground movement, of Rizal Batuan, surrendered with the facilitation of Batuan mayor Antonino Jumawid and Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado.

“We are happy that he finally saw the uselessness of the armed revolution given the fact that the government is now serious in attending to the needs of the people, and especially the seriousness now of our provincial administration to bring the government closer to the people,” Aumentado announced during the presentation of the former rebel before the Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting, October 27.

With the surrender procedure initiated since September 14, 2022, Nabas has completed the mandatory custodial debriefing and deradicalization phase, Governor Aumentado instructed the Joint AFP-PNP Intelligence Committee to immediately start the JAPIC confirmation so the former rebel can be placed under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP).

The ECLIP Committee, with the JAPIC certification would arrange the safety and security arrangements for the surrenderee, his enrollment to the PhilHealth, birth certificate registration and identification cards issuance as part of the process of restoring and reaffirming the person’s identity.

Aumentado also asked the committee to process of Nabas’ immediate assistance for his mobilization expenses, livelihood assistance, housing assistance, education assistance to his children, legal assistance in connection with the cases he would be facing while in the underground movement and healing and reconciliation with the provision of psychosocial support to the reformed citizen and his children.

Nabas has three children, aged 18, 15 and 14.

And with the possible cases to be filed against him, the governor asked the PNP to afford Nabas a little more time for banding with his family before warrants of his arrest can be served.

The presentation of the former rebel is in the 119 days into Governor Aumentado’s assumption to office.

On that day, he marked a milestone in the administration with the surrender of the Deputy Secretary of the New People’s Army’s Bohol Party Committee.

The achievement in his initial efforts to end local communist armed conflict also elevates him in the stature of the giant shadow he stands, his father Erico.

His father earned a military citation for valor when he negotiated for the surrender of Rizalian rebels in the mountain fastness of Pilar, while he was board member.

This peaked with the facilitation in the surrender of top NPA leaders Epitacio Ramirez alias Kumander Vargas, Domingo Samuya alias Ka Aryong, Demetrio Carnice and still several others across his stint as key politician here.

Nabas led the remnants of the defunct Bohol Party Committee (BPC) which remained as a ragtag group after the BPC was dismantled in 2010.

At that time, BPC joined the Komiteng Rehiyonal Sentral Bisayas in Cebu and Negros Oriental.

Nabas joined the NPA in 1992 when he was just 16.

Logging 30 years in the underground movement, Nabas wormed his way up and along the way, occupied key positions including the Semi Legal Team leader operating in Batuan, Bilar and Sevilla.

He was acting Commanding officer with a platoon that earned the battle scars from numerous encounters with the 12th Infantry Battalion and the present 47th Infantry Battalion.

He was also one of the key leaders when the NPAs fled Bohol, among the top anchor leaders in Negros Oriental when the peaceful anti-insurgency efforts in Bohol from 2007 to 2010 had their host communities fighting back. This led to the declaration of Bohol as insurgency-free in 2010.

A resident of Rizal, Batuan, the historic epicenter of the armed struggle in Bohol which stretched back during the American Occupation, Nabas grew in a community that only needs a spark to ignite, his brother Romeo, also known as Marlon in the underground was also key in his being a staunch armed fighter.

But, when his brother died last year in an encounter in Cabacnitan, the NPAs downspin was even more pronounced.

This, many said, would be a key to his surrender. (RAHC/PIA-7/Bohol)

SMILE SAYS ALL. Enemies no more, former rebel Elizar Nabas gets afraternal tap in the shoulder from 47IB Army Executive Officer Major Jason Torino at the presentation of an ELCAC highlight during the most recent PPOC in Bohol last week. (rahc/PIABohol)

LET’S TALK PEACE. PPOC Bohol Chairman Gov Aris Aumentado facilitated the surrender of Elizar Nabas, deputy secretary for Bohol Party Committee of the CPP NPA NDF. Nabas realized the folly of continuing the losing fight with the government now responding to the people’s needs. (RAHC/PIA_7/Bohol)

At 126th CPG DAY

Aris rallies public officials

To enlighten youth’s path

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol Nov 4 (PIA) –Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado, whose Administration institutionalized an office for governance, accountability and review, rallied for local government officials to follow the former president’s example to provide the light for the youth’s path and lead them to realize their being hopes for the society.

President Carlos P Garcia (CPG) bowed out of public service unstained with corruption, which according to the governor was a final feather on his glorious cap.

“He lived and died a poor man. And he anchored this on his love for humanity and deep faith in God,” he pointed out, as he occasionally wiped sweat from his brows during the event which also featured the handling out of post humous awards to past Bohol governors who also stood as giant beacons in Bohol’s journey across the years.

Speaking before a modest crowd of Boholanos and local officials gathered at the new Capitol lobby for the 126th CPG Day celebration, the young governor whose administration slogan is Abante Bohol picked on the event theme: “CPG: Iwag sa Kabatan-onan, Paglaum sa Katilingban.”

“… kita nga misilbi karon sa atong katawhan isip mga opisyal ug empleyado sa atong lalawigan, dakbayan o kalungsoran, angay usab nga mosunod sa mga ehemplo ni kanhi presidente Carlos P. Garcia.” he said, perched on the stair case which was creatively converted into a raised stage for the simple commemorative program.

“Sa ingon niana mahimong daghan ang iwag sa atong mga kabatan-onan. Sa ingon niana mahimong lamdag ang ilang agia-anan. Sa ingon niana mahimo silang tinuod nga paglaum sa atong katilingban,” the governor, in his barong tagalog exhorted.

Aumentado, who said the theme has a personal meaning to him, recalled that in his inaugural address, he also paid tribute both to the late Pres. Garcia.

CPG along with his father, whom CPG groomed to emerge among Bohol’s most prolific leaders, gave birth to the young governor’s passion and commitment to serve our fellow Boholanos as a public servant.

He cited CPG’s Filipino First Policy of putting the welfare of Filipinos ahead of foreigners in trade and industry, has also been an inspiration of his Bohol First policy enshrined in his Abante Bohol slogan.

And as much as CPG wanted to ensure food security in the country by establishing the International Rice Research Institute in Los Baños, Laguna, Aumentado is now into laying the engines of farm mechanization to agricultural productivity to bring the province to survive the economic difficulties now.

He also cited CPGs “Austerity Program” that put limited resources to smart and wise use, a thing which breathes life to OGAR.

You see, my father grew up idolizing Pres. Garcia. He was only 16 years old when then Vice President Carlos P. Garcia succeeded the presidency in 1957 when the beloved “Man of the Masses”, Pres. Ramon Magsaysay, died tragically in a plane crash in a mountain in Cebu.

Alang sa akong amahan, si Garcia usa ka hayag ug dakong iwag sa iyang kabatan-onan.

In that sense, he also wished the youth would see the scholar, teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, political economist, guerrilla and military leader, and public servant par excellence traits of the former president who was many things to many people. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

ABANTE BOHOL through Boholano first policy, austerity and mechanized agriculture to make Bohol survive the present economic pressures, these are all programs of the administration, taking inspiration from CPG’s legacy. Gov Aumentado rallies local leaders to be beacons of light modeling the youth to realize their being the hope for the nation. (PIABohol/RVO)

UNDER THE SHADOW OF BOHOLS MOST ILLUSTRIOUS SON. Local leaders along with Gov Aumentado pose under the gigantic shadow of Carlos P. Garcia, Bohol’s most illustrious son, during the 126th CPG day. (PIAbohol/RVO)