Brigadier General Reynaldo Pawid, director of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Eastern Visayas identified the surrenderees as alias Kolot, 32; and alias Dodoy, 45, both farmers and residents of Mondragon town.
The police regional command said the two suspected rebels are now placed under the custody of 803rd Maneuver Company, headed by Captain Solomon Agayso, under the direct supervision of Colonel Eugene Rebadomia, the commander of Regional Mobile Force Battalion.
“It is time to end this decade-long armed struggle and find a resolution through communication. Their surrender is crucial for improving their lives and the community,” Pawid said.
“Let us join hands and work towards achieving a lasting and sustainable peace for all,” he added.
In a statement, the police official expressed his “full support” to the ongoing efforts of the Philippine National Police (PNP) units in negotiating the surrender of suspected rebels in the region, while underscoring the “significance of reaching out to rebels and engaging them in a peaceful dialogue with the government.”
The two suspected rebels will undergo proper documentation and debriefing before their enrollment in the Local and Social Integration Program (LSIP) and Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-Clip) of the government, according to Pawid.
They surrendered on May 20, 2024, in Barangay Imelda, Mondragon, the police regional command told the local media.
The negotiation for their surrender was also facilitated by the composite team from Area Police Command-Visayas, 2nd Northern Samar Provincial Mobile Force Company,125th Special Action Company, 12th Special Action Battalion, Philippine National Police- Special Action Force, Provincial Intelligence Team-Northern Samar, Regional Intelligence Unit 8, and the Mondragon Municipal Police Station.
Meanwhile, the police regional command said that “rebels who surrender are eligible for a comprehensive package of benefits encompassing livelihood support, medical care, education, housing, and legal assistance.”
“The LSIP and E-Clip are government initiatives designed to aid former rebels to reintegrate into society,” it added.
(Ronald O. Reyes/SunStar Philippines)