Five alleged members of the New People's Army surrendered to the 8th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Poblacion, Impasugong, Bukidnon, on Sunday.
Lt. Col. Ronald Illana, commander of the 8th Infantry Battalion, said alias Lucas, 49, resident of Loreto, Agusan del Sur, surrendered one Cal. 30 M1 Garand rifle; alias GM, 22, turned in a Cal. 22 rifle; alias Pigong, 18, brought his Cal. 22 rifle; alias Boy, 25, surrendered one Cal. 22 rifle; and alias Cobra, 24, brought his 9mm sub-machine gun.
He said all came from Cabanglasan, Bukidnon.
They allegedly told the soldiers that they could no longer stand the difficulty of a life on the run. They also got fed up with the false promises of their leaders.
“The Community Support Program opened the door for our misguided brothers to return to the mainstream,” Illana said. “Every day, more and more NPA members are surfacing to avail of the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program.”
Meanwhile, Col. Edgardo De Leon, commander of the 403rd Infantry Brigade, cited the increasing number of NPA fighters who surrendered. He attributed this to the effectiveness of peace dialogues at the community level.
“With the direct dialogues of the local government units, along with the Army, with the families and friends of the rebels, we arrive at an agreement quicker,” De Leon said. “That's why we are optimistic that more rebels will surrender, especially in the Christmas season.”
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