TWELVE members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) and six Militiang Bayan have surrendered in separate areas in Mindanao as the localized peace initiatives continue to gain headway, the military reported Monday, December 30.
Lieutenant Colonel Ezra Balagtey, Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) spokesperson, said three of the 12 NPAs surrendered in Matupe Village, San Fernando, Bukidnon 14 hours after the ceasefire took effect on December 23.
Both the government and the NPA have declared ceasefire in lieu of the holiday season.
Balagtey said the three, who are ranking NPA members voluntarily surrendered to a local negotiating team composed of local officials, tribal leaders and representative from the business sector and were turned over to the Army’s 88th Infantry Battalion for custodial debriefing.
They were only identified as a certain Sam, team leader of a vertical unit in Bukidnon; a certain En-En, supply officer and the wife of Sam; and a certain Danny, also a team leader of the same unit.
An NPA medic based in Panabo City identified as a certain Angel surrendered on December 24 through the initiative of Congressman Allan Dujali and Governor Edwin Jubahib of Davao Norte.
In New Bataan, Davao De Oro, a member of an organizing committee in Davao City identified as alias Bobby yielded to the Army’s 66th Infantry Battalion on December 25. He turned over a 9-mm pistol.
Three NPA members identified as a certain EJ, Azad and Mylyn, surrendered on December 26 were turned over to the Army’s 75th Infantry Battalion by the local officials in Bislig, Surigao del Sur. EJ is a political guide of the NPA.
They turned over two AK-47 assault rifles and one M16A1 “Baby Armalite” rifle.
Also on December 26, community leaders yielded another four NPA members to the joint elements of the Davao Sur Police Office and Army’s 39th Infantry Battalion at Sitio Mainit in the village of Sibulan, Sta Cruz, Davao Del Sur.
They were identified as a certain Abeth, an NPA medical staff; and a certain Jhazen, Rambo, and Goco, all former NPA followers. They brought with them one M-14 rifle, one caliber .30 M1 Garand rifle, one M-16 Armalite rifle, and medical paraphernalia.
The six Militia ng Bayan based in Sitio Tambo in the village of Binicalan, San Luis, Agusan del Sur, voluntarily surrendered to the Army’s 26th Infantry Battalion, police and Municipal Task Force-ELCAC on December 23.
Lieutenant General Felimon Santos Jr., Eastmincom chief, attributed the cascade of surrender to the effectiveness of the local peace initiatives of the different local government units (LGUs).
“With this cascade of surrender, we see the effectiveness of the local peace initiatives being pursued by the different LGUs. We hope that the academe, the religious sector and other members of the community will channel their initiatives and support these peace endeavors of the different LGUs so that we can all together work for a peaceful environment,” Santos said. (SunStar Zamboanga)