THIRTY-THREE New People's Army (NPA) rebels and 181 supporters have separately surrendered to government authorities in Caraga, the military reported Monday, October 28.
Lieutenant Colonel Isagani Criste, Army's 29th Infantry Battalion commander, said eight regular members of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) from North-Eastern Mindanao and five Militia ng Bayan (MBs) led by two former team leaders voluntarily surrendered to his command and Governor Dale Corvera and Representative Ma. Angelica Amante-Matba of Agusan del Norte.
Criste said the group surrendered and turned over a Garand rifle, three shotguns and two pistols around 6 p.m. Saturday, October 26, in the village of Mahaba, Cabadbaran City, Agusan Del Norte.
With them were 95 members of the Underground Mass Organization (Ugmo) who dissociated themselves from the NPA, according to Criste.
Nine NPA regulars, nine MBs and 86 UGMO members have also surrendered without firearms Saturday afternoon to Lieutenant Colonel Francisco Molina, Jr., Army's 23rd Infantry Battalion commander and Elmer Maboloc, municipal administrator of Buenavista, Agusan del Norte.
Two NPA rebels also surrendered Friday, October 25, to Lieutenant Colonel Romeo Jimenea, Army's 26th Infantry Battalion commander, in the village of Binicalan, San Luis, Agusan Del Sur.
Jimenea identified them as Ka Noah and Ka Gerald, who turned over two M-16 Armalite rifles and two caliber .45 pistols.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Felimon Santos Jr., Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) chief, has ordered all units under his command to sustain the effort leading to the peaceful surrender of NPA rebels and supporters.
"Let us press the effort, with this development we will achieve our objective of peaceful communities within President Duterte's timeline," Santos said.
"We will achieve this with strong collaboration and partnership with our counterparts in the civil government in addressing the non-military dimension of ending local communist armed conflict," he added. (SunStar Zamboanga)