SURRENDER. At least 19 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels from parts of South Cotabato and North Cotabato provinces surrender to police authorities following a series of negotiations. The surrenderers, who gave up at least eight firearms and a grenade, were formally presented on Friday morning to South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. at the provincial capitol in Koronadal City. (PNA photo by Allen V. Estabillo)
Nineteen more New People’s Army (NPA) rebels from three guerrilla fronts operating in parts of Region 12 (Soccsksargen) have surrendered this week to police units in South Cotabato province.
Col. Jemuel Siason, South Cotabato police director, said Friday the rebels decided to surrender following a series of negotiations with elements from the Police Regional Office-12’s intelligence unit (RIU) and the provincial police mobile force company.
Siason said 11 of them were previously under the Guerilla Front 53, seven under Front 73 and one under the Front 56 of the NPA’s Far South Mindanao Region.
Front 73 operates in the boundaries of South Cotabato and Sarangani provinces while Fronts 53 and 56 were all based in North Cotabato area.
The rebels, who were received by South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. at the provincial capitol in Koronadal City on Friday morning, surrendered in batches in undisclosed locations in South Cotabato and North Cotabato on Dec. 10 and 12, Siason said.
“This is a joint effort of the RIU, South Cotabato police and the provincial government,” he said in a press conference.
Siason said two of the surrenderers were former vice commanders of Platoons Samsung and Brigol under the Front 73 while one was a squad leader. The others were NPA regular cadres, political organizers and members of the “Militia ng Bayan”.
He said the returnees brought with them firearms of various caliber, a fragmentation grenade, and ammunition.
Siason said the rebels, all indigenous peoples, decided to surrender due to their difficult situation in the mountains and the uncertainty of their cause.
He said some of them were forced to join the NPA after allegedly being duped by their recruiters and promised with various benefits that were never realized.
In an interview with reporters, alias “Edgar,” a former vice commander of Platoon Brigol, said there’s no reason for them anymore to continue fighting the government.
He surrendered along with his wife, who reportedly served as a community organizer and recruiter for the NPA.
“Our situation was very difficult as we were always on the run and we can no longer stand fighting against our fellow Filipinos,” he said in Filipino.
Tamayo, who is on his first term as governor, said a total of 55 NPA rebels already surrendered in the province under his administration and more are expected to follow in the coming weeks.
Thirteen rebels surrendered in July and were followed by 19 last November and four early this month.
He said most of them have received initial financial assistance and underwent skills training in preparation for the upcoming release of livelihood grants under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program or ECLIP.
“We will make sure that these surrenderers will receive all the benefits due to them under the ECLIP,” Tamayo said.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1088692
Col. Jemuel Siason, South Cotabato police director, said Friday the rebels decided to surrender following a series of negotiations with elements from the Police Regional Office-12’s intelligence unit (RIU) and the provincial police mobile force company.
Siason said 11 of them were previously under the Guerilla Front 53, seven under Front 73 and one under the Front 56 of the NPA’s Far South Mindanao Region.
Front 73 operates in the boundaries of South Cotabato and Sarangani provinces while Fronts 53 and 56 were all based in North Cotabato area.
The rebels, who were received by South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. at the provincial capitol in Koronadal City on Friday morning, surrendered in batches in undisclosed locations in South Cotabato and North Cotabato on Dec. 10 and 12, Siason said.
“This is a joint effort of the RIU, South Cotabato police and the provincial government,” he said in a press conference.
Siason said two of the surrenderers were former vice commanders of Platoons Samsung and Brigol under the Front 73 while one was a squad leader. The others were NPA regular cadres, political organizers and members of the “Militia ng Bayan”.
He said the returnees brought with them firearms of various caliber, a fragmentation grenade, and ammunition.
Siason said the rebels, all indigenous peoples, decided to surrender due to their difficult situation in the mountains and the uncertainty of their cause.
He said some of them were forced to join the NPA after allegedly being duped by their recruiters and promised with various benefits that were never realized.
In an interview with reporters, alias “Edgar,” a former vice commander of Platoon Brigol, said there’s no reason for them anymore to continue fighting the government.
He surrendered along with his wife, who reportedly served as a community organizer and recruiter for the NPA.
“Our situation was very difficult as we were always on the run and we can no longer stand fighting against our fellow Filipinos,” he said in Filipino.
Tamayo, who is on his first term as governor, said a total of 55 NPA rebels already surrendered in the province under his administration and more are expected to follow in the coming weeks.
Thirteen rebels surrendered in July and were followed by 19 last November and four early this month.
He said most of them have received initial financial assistance and underwent skills training in preparation for the upcoming release of livelihood grants under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program or ECLIP.
“We will make sure that these surrenderers will receive all the benefits due to them under the ECLIP,” Tamayo said.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1088692
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