TWO communist New People’s Army (NPA) terrorists have surrendered brought about by pressures of continued military offensive against them in Sultan Kudarat, officials announced Saturday, January 2, 2021.
Lieutenant General Corleto Vinluan, Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), identified the two NPA surrenderers as Jonathan Saliling alias Ka Jonathan and alias Ka Atan, and Michael Lugko alias Ka Umpak and Ka Michael, both members of the East Daguma Front, Sub-regional Command Daguma, Far South Mindanao Region under Arthuro Arsigan alias Ka Macmac.
Vinluan said they surrendered around 9 p.m. Friday to the 7th Infantry Battalion (IB) at the old capitol in Kalawag 2 village, Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.
Vinluan said they yielded two Garand rifles that were converted to M-14 rifles.
He said Saliling revealed during the initial debriefing that they decided to surrender since they are starving and tired of hiding due to the successive military operations and airstrikes.
He said that Lugko feared being killed in armed confrontations with the government forces.
Lieutenant Colonel Romel Valencia, 7IB commander, said the two pledged allegiance to the constitution and denounced the communist NPA terrorists.
They will be enrolled in the government’s reintegration program to ensure that they will not be lured back to the culture of violence. (SunStar Zamboanga)