6 NPA rebels in Surigao surrender, says PH army

From the Manila Times (Jan 30): 6 NPA rebels in Surigao surrender, says PH army

SIX members of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to the military on Monday and turned over their high-powered firearms to authorities , the Philippine Army reported on Tuesday.

First Lt. Michael Pascua, civil-military operations officer of the Army’s 75th Infantry Battalion, identified the communist rebels as Jonathan Navarro alias Rigor; Selbert Camarillo alias Keneth; Edelberto Navarro alias Joross; Merelena Navarro alias Lhea; Joebert Camarillo alias Rey; and Jomar Camarillo alias Roy.

Seized firearms from the suspects of Barangay Maharlika, Bislig City in Surigao were one AK47 rifle, one M16A1 rifle, one improvised M14 rifle, one homemade shotgun, one caliber .357 revolver and two hand grenades.

Pascua said that the communist fighters were under the SYP Platoon 3, the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee of the NPA.

“The surrenderees were convinced by their families and through the continuous information and dissemination conducted by the unit (75th IB), in coordination with the LGU (local government unit), on the plans and programs of the government to return to the folds of law especially about the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP),” Pascua said.

He also claimed that the six rebels experienced “hunger, hardships on trekking mountains, fear of possible encounter with government forces, plus the unbearable lies and deceptions” by the leadership of the NPA and its umbrella organization, the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Lt. Col. Jaime Datuin, 75th IB commander, said that his office would ensure the safety of the NPA rebels as part of a mandated task in maintaining peace and order within the area.

The surrender came days after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened anew to crush the CPP-NPA and hit the armed group for collecting revolutionary taxes from business companies.

http://www.manilatimes.net/6-npa-rebels-surrender-govt-surigao-says-ph-army/377311/