BUTUAN CITY – Nine communist New People's Army rebels separately surrendered in the provinces of Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Sur, the military here said Monday.
Brig. Gen. Arsenio Sadural, Philippine Army's 901st Infantry Brigade (901Bde) commander, said on Sunday, five rebels yielded to the 29th Infantry Battalion (IB) in Agusan del Norte, while the other four to the 36IB in Surigao del Sur.
In Agusan del Norte, the surrenderers were identified as Maria Sila Galupo, Hanah Sarah Galupo, Narlyn Consuegra, Manuel Nakira Jr., and Urily Nakila, who all belonged to the NPA Regional Headquarters of the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC).
The group handed over two M16 rifles, an AK-47 rifle, and an M79 grenade launcher with ammunition.
In Surigao del Sur, the four other surrenderers belonging to the weakened NPA Guerrilla Front 30 under the NEMRC are Bernabe Pamad, Ronel Estano, Mary Koy Cuarteron, and Lito Montenegro. The group turned in an AK-47 rifle and a .45-caliber pistol.
"The nine (rebels) escaped from their groups because they feared being hit by the continuous combat operations of the 29IB and the 36IB," Sadural said in a statement.
Sadural said the surrender of the nine rebels indicated that the NEMRC is "on the brink of collapse. We are now at the stage wherein insurgency is at its lowest point and nearing extinction. It's the right time to unite and embrace peace."
He said the surrenderers are set to avail of government services under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program. (PNA)
