Tacloban City: The Philippine Army's 802nd Infantry Brigade is upbeat that more active fighters of the New People's Army (NPA) will surrender this month through their 'Love Will Lead You Back' campaign.
According to Philippines News Agency, 802nd Infantry Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Noel Vestuir explained that the program aims to encourage NPA members from platoons in Leyte and Samar provinces to reunite with their families and loved ones during this month of love. This initiative, set against the backdrop of Valentine's Day, seeks to remind insurgents that love and peace await them at home. The campaign features former rebels, their families, community leaders, and others they cherish, intending to touch the hearts of those still in hiding, motivating them to lay down their arms and embrace a future filled with hope and reconciliation.
The campaign specifically targets the surrender of 16 NPA combatants hiding in the boundaries of Samar and Eastern Samar provinces, as well as 21 armed rebels operating in the Leyte mountains. Vestuir noted that the approach combines technology and emotion, leveraging the universal theme of love to reach out to insurgents in a manner that traditional methods cannot achieve.
Messages shared across various social media platforms and community gatherings will serve as a bridge between estranged families and their loved ones in hiding. Videos featuring the families of insurgents urging them to surrender will be shown at community gatherings. By highlighting real stories of former rebels who have successfully reintegrated into society, the 'Love Will Lead You Back' program aims to dispel fears of surrender and showcase the government's commitment to peace and rehabilitation.
The campaign's name is inspired by a 1989 song popularized by American singer Taylor Dayne, which speaks about a woman willing to set her lover free, confident that one day his love will lead him back to her.
In November 2024, the brigade launched the 'Wish Upon a Star' project, where soldiers recorded the Christmas wishes of families of active NPA combatants. These messages were shared by members of the Local Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and netizens through Facebook, ensuring they reached the rebels.
This special project is part of the Friends Rescued Engagement through Their Families (FReE Families) program introduced by Vestuir. Launched in Borongan City, Eastern Samar, in late 2023, the FReE Families program counteracts the hate spread by NPA propagandists and addresses the danger and anxiety faced by the families of NPA members. In 2024, the program successfully persuaded 45 active NPA combatants to abandon the communist terrorist group and reunite with their families.
