NPA 'messenger' surrenders in Surigao Sur

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY--A member of the New People’s Army (NPA),  who worked as a "messenger" for the communist rebel group, has surrendered in Surigao del Sur, a military official said.

Lieutenant Colonel Xerxes Trinidad, commander of the Army's 36th Infantry Battalion (36IB), identified the surrenderer as 21-year-old Jolimar “Reno” Abas, who hails from Barangay Bitaugan, in San Miguel town.

Abas also surrendered a shotgun to the 36IB last October 20, Trinidad said Monday.

Trinidad said Abas claimed to be a member of the “Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda-Interior (SYP-I), SRC 2130 of the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC).”

Based on interviews conducted by the military on Abas, the surrenderer claimed to have laid low from insurgent activities in recent months but remained a messenger for the rebel group to the different barangays in the town.

Trinidad said Abas' surrender was facilitated by another former rebel, who convinced him to avail of the government’s integration program--the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).

Trinidad said the rebel forces in Surigao del Sur continue to weaken "and losing its mass support in the communities," especially with the loss of members who are considered “lifeblood” of the communist insurgency.

“The growing sentiment of the surrenderers and the shift of support is due to the miserable life they experience being inside the organization (NPA) and the realization of neglecting their family just because of a failed cause without direction,” the military official said. (PNA)