TIME TO SURRENDER. Lino Atipan Namatidong (left), the commanding officer of the communist New People’s Army Headquarters Force Neo, Regional Sentro De Gravidad Compaq Sub-Regional Committee 1 of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee, surrenders to the military in Butuan City on Monday (April 24, 2023). The NPA leader brought along nine of his followers when he turned himself in. (Photo courtesy of 402Bde)
BUTUAN CITY – A high-ranking leader of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) and nine of his followers surrendered to authorities in this city, the military here said Tuesday.
In a statement, the Army’s 402nd Infantry Brigade (402Bde) identified the NPA leader as Lino Atipan Namatidong, the commanding officer of the NPA Headquarters Force Neo, Regional Sentro De Gravidad (RSDG)Compaq Sub-Regional Committee 1 of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC).
His followers were identified as Reyna Nanganlag Namatidong, an NCMRC staff for education and propaganda and the wife of Namatidong; Nestor Panhayan Namatidong; Ronie Namatidong Polistico; Lyka Namulanta Lagaolao; Besto Tumanan; Gay-gaya Tumanan; Ronald Abalang Dungogan; Angleo Lomakin Pal-ot; and Jerry Pinatubas Inantag.
They yielded to the Army’s 23rd Infantry Battalion (23IB) and the 402Bde’s Joint Intelligence Unit in Barangay Bancasi here Monday.
The group handed over 10 high-powered firearms composed of two M16 rifles, three shotguns, an AK-47 rifle, two M79 grenade launchers, a Carbine rifle, and a Garand rifle.
Namatidong, described as a notorious NPA leader operating in the Agusan provinces and parts of Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental, has several standing arrest warrants.
“There are several allegations against Namatidong about the brutal killings in Barangay Lawan-Lawan and Bokbokon in Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte, and the raids of military camps and detachments in the area,” the 402Bde said.
According to the 23IB commander, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Balingao, Namatidong and his wife yielded due to low morale and exhaustion.
Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Adonis Ariel Orio, the 402Bde commander, welcomed the surrender of Namatidong and his group.
“The downfall of the HQF Neo leadership, once considered as a stronghold of the RSDG of the NCMRC is inevitable with the surrender of Namatidong and his group. This will also lead to the disarray of the NPA in the Northern Mindanao region and parts of the Caraga region," Orio said.
He said the 64-year-old Namatidong has been in the NPA for 34 years and has regretted the "wasted years of his life waging the baseless armed struggle." (PNA)
