In a heartfelt initiative, the Philippine Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade has launched the ‘Love Will Lead You Back’ campaign, targeting active members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Leyte and Samar. The campaign, coinciding with Valentine’s Day, seeks to encourage NPA fighters to surrender and reunite with their families, emphasizing the power of love and peace over conflict.
Brig. Gen. Noel Vestuir, the brigade’s commander, expressed optimism that the campaign would lead to the surrender of 16 NPA combatants in Samar and Eastern Samar, and 21 in Leyte. The initiative uses a blend of technology and emotion, sharing messages across social media and at community gatherings to bridge the gap between estranged families and their loved ones in hiding.
Videos featuring families of the insurgents pleading for their return will be showcased at these gatherings. The campaign also highlights success stories of former rebels who have reintegrated into society, aiming to alleviate fears about surrendering and demonstrating the government’s commitment to peace and rehabilitation.
The ‘Love Will Lead You Back’ campaign draws its name from a 1989 song by Taylor Dayne, symbolizing the hope that love will eventually bring the rebels back home. This initiative follows the brigade’s ‘Wish Upon a Star’ project, launched in November 2024, where soldiers recorded and shared Christmas wishes from families of active NPA combatants on social media.
The ‘Wish Upon a Star’ project is part of the broader Friends Rescued Engagement through Their Families (FReE Families) program, initiated by Vestuir in late 2023 in Borongan City, Eastern Samar. The FReE Families program has already seen success, with 45 active NPA combatants choosing to leave the group and reunite with their families in 2024.