A MEMBER of the local communist terrorist group (CTG) operating in the provinces of Benguet, Abra, Mt. Province, and Ilocos Sur surrendered to police in Itogon, Benguet recently.
Police Colonel Elmer Ragay, Benguet Provincial Police officer-in-charge, identified the surrenderer as Dember Cleto Lictag Simon, also known as “Fuji,” who surrendered on September 24 in Dalupirip, Itogon.
Fuji is now undergoing custodial debriefing and has turned-in a US Carbine Cal .30 M2 with two magazines and three ammunitions, a Caliber .45 pistol with no serial number and one inserted magazine with no ammunition, and a M67 fragmentation hand grenade.
Joint operatives of the Benguet Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB), Itogon MPS and Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC)-Benguet PPO, Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PRO-COR), Regional Intelligence Unit 14 (RIU-14), MIG-2, NISG-NL, and Criminal Investigation Detection Group-Cordillera (CIDG-CAR) facilitated the surrender through continuous intelligence gathering and information operation that convinced the rebel to surrender and led to the success of the operation.
The operation is in line with the government’s program on Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) to encourage members of the communist’s terrorist groups to return to mainstream society.
Ragay urged remaining rebels to take the path of peace, lay down their arms, and live a peaceful life. (Lauren Alimondo)