Manila, April 14 -- After years of shattered lives as armed rebels in the mountains of Leyte, two siblings found true freedom after leaving the New People's Army (NPA).

Jessica Darantinao, 35, said life has finally been peaceful since she formally surrendered to authorities and applied for amnesty last year.

Her elder sister, Janeth, persuaded her to support the NPA as a member of a left-leaning youth organization in 2013. She became a full-time rebel after three years.

After fighting the government between 2016 and 2017, Jessica realized that all promises of the NPA are lies, prompting her to escape when asked to conduct a meeting with left-leaning organizations in Albuera, Leyte.

"I worked in a private company in Manila for several ...