Commie surrenders to Ocon

By Nitz Arancon
Correspondent .

A combatant of the communist New People’s Army surrendered to City Councilor Zaldy Ocon who turned over the rebel to authorities earlier this week.

Ocon identified the rebel as Jaime Cawasan, 36, and a resident of Barangay Malagana, Claveria town in Misamis Oriental.

“Dili gyud ko mosurender kon dili si kagawad Zaldy ra gyud,” Cawasan said.

Ocon said Cawasan surrendered to him in Barangay Aposa Kahoy in Claveria at around 6 am, Monday.

There, Ocon turned over Cawasan to Master Sgt. Noel Oclarit of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

In front of Ocon and Oclarit, Cawasan admitted to joining the revolutionary movement  because a certain Gertrudes Salvaleon grabbed their 35-hectare land in Barangay Malagana.

He said the land was their inheritance from their parents and they pawned it off to Salvaleon for P300 thousand.

However, when they were about to pay off the amount, Salvaleon refused, Cawasan claimed.

“Ingon siya nga dili na namo malukat kay iya na man kuno nga napalit ang among yuta,” Cawasan said.

Cawasan further claimed that Salvaleon told them that they can only get back their land if they give her P2 million.

“Dili na kami maka gahom anang two million. Mao ang wala na gyud namo patikad among yuta kay gi-angkon na man ni Mrs. Salvaleon,” Cawasan said.

This incident, he claimed, pushed him to join the rebels and burned Salvaleon’s tractor on Jan. 2, this year.

Oclarit confirmed the incident saying that it was the reason why Cawasan has a standing warrant of arrest for arson.

For her part, Salvaleon denied the allegations of Cawasan against their family.

Salvaleon said Cawasan kept asking for money from her which had added up. That was the reason why Cawasan’s family could buy back their land.