Ka Aryong surrenders

By: JUNE S. BLANCO

THE spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

This summarizes the hows and wherefores why political officer Domingo Samuya alias Ka Aryong of Front 1 of the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF) in Bohol returned to the fold of the law. Accompanied by his wife Vitaliana, daughter Dovilia and cousin San Isidro Mayor Requillo Samuya, the former rebel (FR) took his oath of allegiance administered by Provincial Prosecutor Toribio Quiwag and witnessed by Gov. Erico Aumentado to make permanent his “leave of absence” from the movement following two operations for kidney stones. “I cannot take the rigors of a life on the run anymore,” the 49-year-old Ka Aryong said, hence he sought the mayor to relay his surrender feelers to the governor.

The Samuya party arrived at the governor's residence at around 11:30 a.m. Friday where, over lunch and on into the afternoon, he gave his circumstances and sought Aumentado's and Quiwag's advice, and finally took his oath of allegiance. He decided to return voluntarily and freely after seeing the sincerity of the government in looking after the welfare and well being of the people and the development of the province as well. He renounced the communist insurgency movement and committed himself to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the land. He pledged allegiance to the country, fulfill his duties as a citizen and promised to help the government attain peace and development, with his mayor-cousin, wife and daughter also standing as witnesses. As such, Aumentado and Quiwag issued him a certification that he has no pending criminal case with the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor that would serve as “safe conduct pass.”

The governor and prosecutor issued the certification after Ka Aryong renounced his support of the communist insurgency. At the same time, it requested all authorities concerned to give due recognition to his return to normal life and that he be accorded the rights and privileges due to a citizen. Ka Aryong conformed and committed to be a law-abiding citizen, abandon the communist insurgency and assured the government that he will help Bohol attain peace and harmony in his humble capacity. With the pass, Aumentado called Col. Arthur Tabaquero, commanding officer of the 302nd Infantry Brigade based in Katipunan, Carmen town to request that Ka Aryong be de-listed from the order of battle (OB) and that his name as top CPP official in Bohol be removed from the army's monthly updates on insurgency during the next Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting.

Aryong's exploits

Among his exploits as political officer, Ka Aryong admitted to sitting at the negotiating table with Inabanga businessman Maximo “Memong” Estoreon somewhere in the hinterlands of Danao town attended by Msgr. Leopoldo Tumulak, former bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran and now the military vicar. Aryong alleged that they burned the Estoreon's cargo truck on Friday the 13th of September 2002 at the instance of “the people” against whom the family had committed violations like unfair sharing in cattle fattening and coconut farming, and usury.

Aryong said they initially sought to collect revolutionary taxes. The family failed to shell out the taxes. They burned the truck only as punishment for the violations. The Estoreon family said Ka Aryong, his revolutionary wife Ka Elma, a certain Ka Resty and another commander had demanded for four heads of cattle and 10 percent of their gross income a month for life. The family said this was too stiff. When Ka Aryong said the taxes will go to the poor, the family said they are already helping the poor through scholarships and even offered to give school supplies to all their cattle caretakers who live within Front 3, his area of operation, but he refused. Asked what he really wanted, Ka Aryong reportedly answered firearms. As this definitely will not improve their cattle caretakers' lot, nor help the poor, the family refused.

Ka Aryong had said he negotiated for the decrease of interest rates from 10 percent to initially five percent, then up until eight percent, but failed to reach an agreement nonetheless. The Estoreons said they are engaged in business but not into usury. The family also said those who complained against their coconut sharing are those who fell from their graces. The Estoreons said they accept pawns of coconut palms. The unwritten law on pawns states that the pawnee harvests the crop until the pawner fully pays, but they do not even do so. The sharing remains the same. When a group conducted a rally in front of their house, they did not mind them as they turned out to be members of the Hugpong sa mga Mag-uumang Bol-anon (Humabol) and other known CPP-NPA legal fronts and not people who they might have aggrieved.

Scholarship, etc.

To show the government's sincerity to keep its end of the bargain in Ka Aryong's surrender, Aumentado called Dir. Carla Villarta of the Office of the Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process (OPAPP) to inquire on its scholarship program for children of FRs. He also enumerated to Ka Aryong the amounts he would have received if he turned over firearms. The FR turned out to have two sons in the underground. Aumentado asked Ka Aryong to invite them to similarly return to the fold of the law so that they can form another FR cooperative. Ka Aryong said his children still needs convincing and warned that it might take some time. Aumentado said he is willing to wait. From the governor's residence, Ka Aryong left with Mayor Samuya that afternoon.

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