SURRENDER. The firearms and other war materiel from the 17 communist rebels who surrendered on May 3, 2021 in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, are displayed by the Army's 1st Special Forces Battalion under 403rd Brigade (403rd Bde) on Monday. The Army unit attributed the surrender to persistent negotiations with the rebels. (Photo courtesy of 4ID)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY--The Army's 1st Special Forces Battalion (1SFB) under 403rd Brigade (403rd Bde) said Tuesday the surrender of 17 disgruntled New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Bukidnon was part of its "continuous negotiations" with the guerillas in the area.
Lt. Col. Vercisio San Jose, 1SFB commander, said the surrenderers belong to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) NPA Sub-Regional Committee 4 (SRC) of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee led by a certain Dionisio Micabalo.
They used to operate in Kitanglay and Kalatungan mountain ranges.
“Our relentless military operations against this NPA unit and continuous negotiations forced them to surrender bringing with them eleven high-powered firearms,” San Jose said.
He said the rebels, who surrendered in Barangay Mampayag, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon on May 3, turned over three M16 rifles, three AK47 rifles, one M14 rifle, one cal .30 Garand rifle, three .45 caliber pistols, and ammunition.
The surrender of the 17 NPA members came at the same time that Ismael Davide Tundag alias SA-Ed, married, 36, GF 88 secretary, and Lelith Olinan Lamomay alias May-May, married, 31, political officer/instructor of GF 88 severed ties with the communist terrorist group.
Tundag turned over a .45 caliber pistol.
Maj. Gen. Andres Centino, commander of the Army's 4th Infantry Division, said the latest batch of surrenderers weakened further the communist rebel movement in Bukidnon.
“We will continue to press the fight against the CTG in our area of operations first to pressure them to surrender or decimate their forces through armed engagement if necessary,” he said.
The NPA, along with the Communist Party of the Philip[pines, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
The 17 surrenderers received cash assistance and a sack of rice from the province of Bukidnon through Gov. Jose Maria R. Zubiri Jr., while the Department of Social Welfare and Development also provided cash and food assistance as part of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program by the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict. (PNA)
