THREE New People's Army (NPA) rebels withdrew their support from the communist group and surrendered to government authorities in Sultan Kudarat, the military said on Sunday, April 30.
The three NPA rebels, whose identities were withheld except that they belong to the Far South Mindanao Region (FSMR), surrendered to Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Baldomar, 37th Infantry Battalion commander, around 6 p.m. on Friday, April 28, at Camp Brigadier General Belita in Tibpuan village, Lebak, Sultan Kudarat.
They handed over one 7.62-millimeter (mm) M14 rifle, one 5.56-mm M4 Carbine, and one caliber .45 pistol.
Major General Alexander Rillera, Joint Task Force Central commander, said that the surrender of the three NPA rebels bespeaks the group's continuous downfall due to the untiring efforts of the armed forces to conduct focused military operations (FMOs) and the effective implementation of community support programs in their mass bases.
During the debriefing, the three NPA surrenderers revealed that they experienced hardships and pressure due to the military's continuous conduct of FMOs and the lack of moral and financial support from the leadership of FSMR, hence their withdrawal of support from the group.
The three NPA surrenderers are currently at the 37IB headquarters for custodial debriefing and Enhanced Comprehensive Livelihood Program processing.
Lieutenant General Roy Galido, Western Mindanao Command chief, commended the Joint Task Force Central for their relentless efforts to end terrorism in Central Mindanao.
Galido also urged the remaining terror group members to follow in the footsteps of their former comrades.
"It is best for them to end their armed struggle peacefully because we assure that we will never allow them to reemerge and wreak havoc in the communities," he added. (SunStar Zamboanga)