TACLOBAN CITY. The military arrested on Sunday a 16-year-old girl, who they alleged is a member of the New People's Army (NPA), in Leyte town.

Five days earlier, a 17-year-old suspected rebel surrendered to the military.

Lt. Col. Lope Dagoy, commanding officer of the 19th Infantry Battalion, based in Kananga, Leyte, said his men, led by Lt. Rod Vincent Babira, arrested the 16-year-old, who is three months pregnant, at her house in Barangay Tag-abaca, Leyte town, last Sunday around 10 p.m.

Dagoy said the arrest of the minor was made with a warrant of arrest issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Apolinario Buaya, based in Ormoc City.

The judge issued the warrant against Cristy on Nov. 3 last year for rebellion charges filed by Dagoy against officials and members of the Mt. Amandawen of the Northern Leyte Front Command. The Northern Leyte Front Command Mt. Amandawen leader Apolinario Opo was arrested last Holy Friday here in the city.

Dagoy said informants led them to the girl.

PUNISHMENT

But the girl, who allegedly belonged to the medical and education committees of the group, denied that she was a member of the NPA, Dagoy said.

However, Dagoy said he learned from the informant, who was once an NPA member that Cristy could have been asked to leave the group as punishment for getting impregnated by her boyfriend, an alleged active NPA member.

Dagoy said a certain Lea de la Cruz, whom he identified as head of the NPA's Northern Leyte Front Command, recruited the girl.

The girl had been in the movement for more than a year before her capture last Sunday, Dagoy added.

A 17-year-old young man, also suspected to be an NPA member, surrendered to the military. He expressed his desire to surrender through the mayor of Albuera, also in Leyte, Dagoy said.

Albuera Mayor Sixto de la Victoria, in turn, informed Dagoy on May 26 of the planned surrender of the teenage guerrilla.

The mayor learned about the plight of the 17-year-old minor from the village chief of Talisayon, also in Albuera, where the boy's family lives.

DIFFICULT LIFE

The juvenile allegedly joined the NPA when he was just 16-years-old, Dagoy said.
The boy buried his M-16 Armalite rifle in a mountainous village in Carigara town, also in Leyte, he said.

"According to the teenager, life in the mountains is becoming difficult for them. They were always on the run. And he realized that he could either be captured or die anytime because of our relentless campaign against their group," Dagoy said.

Roy and Cristy were detained temporarily at the military camp but the two would be turned over to the regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development based here.

"The capture and the surrender of these two minors are proof that the communist group is still using minors in their campaign against the government," said Dagoy.