A LEADER and a follower of the New People’s Army operating in Northern Mindanao have surrendered to authorities in Lanao del Sur, the military reported Tuesday, October 10, 2023.
The Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) identified only the NPA leader who surrendered as Alias Kiram and the follower as Alias Ram, who surrendered to Lieutenant Colonel Eduard Sia-ed, 5th Infantry Battalion commander in Pilintangan village, Wao, Lanao del Sur Sunday, October 8.
The Westmincom said Kiram is the current acting secretary of Sub-Regional Committee 5 and Commanding Officer of Sub-Regional Operations Command of the NPA’s North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC) and Ram is a member of Platoon Mercedes of the NCMRC.
During the initial debriefing, the Westmincom said the two revealed that they decided to surrender due to the extreme hardship they experienced while evading the government forces.
They handed over one M653 rifle, one M4A1 Carbine, 203 rounds of ammunition, eight magazines, and one bandolier.
Kiram and Ram and the war materials are now under the custody of the 103rd Infantry Brigade for proper disposition.
The surrender of the two NPA rebels was a result of concerted efforts of the 103rd Infantry Brigade and 403rd Infantry Brigade.
Major General Steve Crespillo, commander of Westmincom, commended the military forces for their significant accomplishment.
“The surrender of their leader manifests the downfall of the group. We expect the remaining members of the NCMRC will also come out in the coming days,” Crespillo said. (SunStar Zamboanga)