SURRENDERED. The firearms turned over by seven members of the New People's Army when they surrendered to the Philippine Army on March 23 in San Jose De Buan, Samar. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Army)
TACLOBAN CITY – Five combatants of the New People’s Army (NPA) and two of their militiamen surrendered and turned over their firearms to the Philippine Army in San Jose De Buan, Samar.
The rebels who voluntarily surrendered on Thursday belong to Yakal platoon, sub-regional committee browser, of the NPA’s Eastern Visayas regional party committee.
They handed over a 60mm mortar, three M14 Rifles, M16 rifle, .45 caliber pistol, a homemade shotgun, and assorted ammunition. The military withheld the names of the surrenderers.
Their surrender, according to Army’s 87th Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Luzelito Betinol is the result of the continuous effort of the local peace engagement cluster of the municipal task force to end local communist armed conflict of Paranas, San Jose de Buan, Motiong and San Jorge towns.
Fear, hunger and dismay are the main reasons they decided to return to the folds of the law, Betinol said.
Samar Island is considered the last bastion of insurgency in the country with four of the last five remaining guerrilla fronts operating in the boundaries of three Samar provinces. (PNA)
