At least 11 alleged New People’s Army (NPA) rebels have
surrendered to government troops in Sarangani
Province
Lt. Col. Ronnie Babac, commander of the Army’s 73rd Infantry
Battalion, said Wednesday the rebels mainly decided to lay down their arms
after getting tired of their uncertain situation in the mountains.
He said the returnees started to send surrender feelers
following the encounter in Barangay Datal Anggas in Alabel town last Feb. 15 that
led to the killing of their seven comrades.
Among those killed was NPA leader Tolentino Bariquit alias
Kumander Brigol, who was secretary of the NPA’s Guerilla Front 75.
“Some of them surrendered as they were not given proper
medical attention by their comrades after being wounded in the encounter,” he
said in radio interview.
Babac said the returnees were members of the NPA’s Fronts 71
and 75, which are operating in the hinterlands of Sarangani and Davao
Occidental provinces.
Nine of them were from the Front 75 and two were from Front
71, he said.
The official said the returnees are being assisted by their
unit and would later be endorsed for inclusion into the Comprehensive Local
Integration Program (CLIP).
CLIP reintegrates former rebels into the social mainstream
and uplifts their socio-economic conditions to enable them to become active
partners in the local development.
The program also seeks to contribute towards the achievement
of the goal of permanent peaceful closure of all armed conflicts with non-state
armed groups.
In the last three years, the Department of the Interior and
Local Government and the provincial government of Sarangani Province
The former rebels received various livelihood assistance
ranging from Php5,000 to Php50,000 each.
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