Four more New People's Army (NPA) rebels voluntarily
surrendered to troopers of the 73rd Infantry Battalion at Barangay Little
Baguio, Malita town, Davao Occidental over the weekend.
Reports forwarded by 1st Lt. Vergel Alcambra, 10th Infantry
Division spokesperson, Monday said the surrendered rebels are from the NPA's
Front-71.
The four, those names were withheld for security reasons,
also turned over a hand grenade to government forces.
The surrender of the four last July 4 was facilitated by
barangay officials in the area.
This brought to 134 the number of rebels who voluntarily
handed themselves to the 10th Infantry Division.
Upon interrogation, the four said that they all members of
the B’laan Tribe.
The four said that the reasons for their surrender are that
they are now tired of the incessant fighting and its attendant hardships like
starvation and being separated from their loved ones.
“With this continuous influx of rebel surrenderees, we
expect the complete decimation of NPA’s Front-71 and the weakening of other
Fronts of Far South Mindanao Regional Committee,” 73rd Infantry Battalion
commander Lt. Col. Ronnie Babac said.
Meanwhile, Major Gen. Eduardo M. Año, 10th Infantry Division
commander, lauded the cooperation of local officials and other stakeholders in
propagating the call for the NPAs to surrender.
“We are calling on our deceived brothers who are still with
the NPA to grab the opportunity of living a peaceful life before it’s too late.
The best option for them is to abandon the futile armed struggle,” he said.
The documentation of the surrenderees is underway for them
to be enrolled in the Comprehensive Local Integration Program as part of the
government’s effort to reintegrate them into the mainstream society.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=779692
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