FOUR New People's Army (NPA) rebels surrendered to military authorities in Surigao del Sur on May 6 and 7, 2023, the military reported.
The military identified the surrenderers as John Paul Loyola, the team leader of Team Baking, Squad 2 of the SRSDG Southland under the Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC); Ruel Tawede alias Rocco, the commanding officer of Militiang Bayan/Hikling, Lumpong 5; and Jonas Angeles and his live-in partner Inday Sampaga, both members of the weakened Guerilla Front 16 under the NEMRC.
According to Angeles, he surrendered after he was left to take care of himself from a gunshot wound he sustained during an encounter at Mapula, Barangay Esperanza, Carmen in Surigao del Sur on April 15, 2023.
He was also exploited for nine months, he added.
The four surrenderers handed over one M14 rifle, one M1 carbine rifle, and one M16 rifle.
According to the 4th Infantry Division (4ID), since January 2023, a total of 67 communist rebels have surrendered to the military.
Major General Jose Maria Cuerpo II, the 4ID commander, said that the rebels surrendered due to discouragement and after a series of neutralization, voluntary surrender, apprehension and death of their leaders from military operations.
"The continuous exhaustion due to our relentless focused military operations and the unfulfilled promises of the communist terrorist group (CTG) led them to abandon the organization," Cuerpo said. (SunStar Cagayan de Oro)