Kalinaw News: Communist Terrorist Groups continue to surrender in South Cotabato Province

Posted to Kalinaw News (Dec 6, 2021): Communist Terrorist Groups continue to surrender in South Cotabato Province



Banga, South Cotabato- From the period of 30 October 2021 to date, a total of 8 Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) surrendered with their high-powered firearms to the 11th Special Forces “STINGRAY” Company, 5th Special Forces Battalion, Special Forces Regiment (Airborne), Philippine Army operationally controlled by the 601st Infantry Brigade, 6th Infantry Division, Philippie Army

Surrenderees consist of eight (8) NPA Terrorists and Local Guerilla Units from Guerilla Front MUSA (GF MUSA/GF 73) and WEST DAGUMA Front, SRC DAGUMA. Surrendered firearms include the following;

(1) US M1 Carbine rifle with magazine and ammunition
(1) M79 Grenade Launcher with rounds 40mm ammo
(2) improvised M79 grenade Launcher
(1) caliber 45 pistol
(1) Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) with 4 magaznines and 20 caliber 30 ammunition and bandoleer.

BAR was recovered through a cache recovery operations tipped off by the surrenderee from DAGUMA WEST last 26 November 2021 in the tri-boundary of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Saranggani.

Local Guerilla Units (LGUs), according to former CO of WEST MUSA who recently surrendered, are members of Peoples Militia (Milisyang Bayan) to serve as the horizontal force WEST MUSA Front. LGUs were tasked to monitor the movement of government troops, guide the NPA Terrorists, conduct reconnaissance, provide supplies and mobility assests for the Communist Terrorist Groups. They are likewise promoted to become regular members of the NPA Terrorist after undergoing required CTG Courses such as Batakang Orientasyong Militar and Batakang Kursong Pangmilitar conducted by the CTGs. The creation of LGUs by the CTGs is an indication of their difficulty in recruitment due to the effective implementation of the National Task Force Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) development program in conflict-affected areas.

On the other hand, 3 members of CTG-Affected Mass Organization (CAMO) in the guise of aboveground organization, Kahugpungan sa Lumad sa Halayong Habagatang Kotabato (KALUHAKO) also surrendered along with loose firearms left by CTG members to the Community Support Team of the 6th Civil Military Operations Battalion (6CMOBn). The surenderees said that KALUHAKO is part of their White Area Operations to sustain the armed group.

White Area Surrenderees surrendered the following Low-Powered loose firearms consist of (1) Uzi short barrel rifle with one (1) magazine and three (3) rounds ammunition, one (1) improvised shot gun with one (1) magazine and three (3) rounds ammunition,and one home-made 40 lite pistol with five (5) rounds 5.56 ammunition.

White Area Operations of CTG affected mass organizations (CAMO) provide supplies and act as couriers from the town centers to sustain the needs of the NPA Terrorists. They are likewise responsible in agitating, organizing, and mobilizing various sectors (farmer, indigenous people and labor sectors) to go against the government and conduct mass mobilization, demonstrations. They also recruit potential NPA members.

The surrender is also attributed to the LGU of T’boli’s intensified conduct of Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) activities and serbisyo caravans in the conflict-affected areas within the boundaries of T’Boli, Banga and Lake Sebu.

Only members of CTGs are qualified for Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) while members of the White Area may receive immediate cash and livelihood assistance from the Local Government Units.

While waiting to process their E-CLIP enrollment, the LGU of T’ Boli and the 2nd District Congressional Office granted immediate cash assistance as a reward for choosing the path to peace. The South Cotabato Provincial Government will likewise be providing support upon E-CLIP processing and enrollment.

Names and aliases of the surrenderees were withheld for their safety and security.


The 5th Special Forces Battalion (5SFBN) under the 601ST Infantry Brigade and 6th Infantry Division, Philippine Army are grateful for the support of our Local Chief Executives and Local Government of T’Boli in enforcing the mandate and functions of the National Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) that emanated from President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70.

With the NTF-ELCAC and the delivery of basic and social services to the conflict-affected area, we hope to have more peaceful surrenders that will greatly help in dismantling the Communist Terrorist Groups in the province of South Cotabato.

We call on the people of South Cotabato to continuously support the NTF-ELCAC’s lines of efforts and initiatives.

[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace in the Philippines This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City Contact us: kalinawnews@cmoregiment.com]

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