NPA sympathizers yield

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 7): NPA sympathizers yield

Sixteen sympathizers of communist New Peoples’ Army (NPA) in Kidapawan City in North Cotabato have voluntarily surrendered to military authorities, the Army here said Thursday.

Capt. Silver Belvis, spokesperson for the Army's 39th Infantry Battalion of the 1002nd Infantry Brigade, said 10 sympathizers, more known in the communist movement as “Sangay ng Partido” or “SP,” first voluntarily showed up at the office of Barangay Katipunan chair Ricardo Rifurial and expressed willingness to surrender.

Rifurial sought the Army’s assistance. After the military welcomed the sympathizers, six more unarmed NPA active followers followed suit.

“They are not armed, but they have active participation in NPA atrocities,” Belvis told Church-run Radio DXND.

Belvis said events that transpired in the village forced them to surrender to authorities.

Before their surrender, communist rebels abducted Police Officer 1 Bristol Catalan who until now has remained in captivity, followed by the arrest of two armed NPA guerillas and the recovery of 20 Armalite rifles and two fragmentation grenades.

Two weeks earlier, the Army arrested an NPA leader and seized three Armalite rifles and improvised bombs from him.

Belvis then reiterated to those fighting a lost cause to avail of the government amnesty program for armed communist rebels.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1008820