4 NPAs surrender in Zamboanga Peninsula

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 9, 2022): 4 NPAs surrender in Zamboanga Peninsula (By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.)

Four members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) have surrendered to government authorities in the provinces of Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Sur, police officials disclosed Wednesday.

The NPA surrenderers were identified as Rosemarie Abis Banales, 34; Joan Magbian, 24; Ronel Racho, 27; and Leizel Ann Cañete Culot Racho, 26.

Col. Albert Larubis, Zamboanga Sibugay police director, said Banales surrendered around 2:20 p.m. Tuesday in Purok 1, Barangay Peñaranda, Kabasalan.

He said Banales was a member of the Regional Urban Committee of the NPA’s Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee.

Banales served as food courier of the defunct Guerilla Front (GF) Feliciano Bravo and at the same time was tasked to monitor the presence of government troops in Barangay Penaranda, Kabasalan, according to Larubis.

Meanwhile, Col. Diomarie Albarico, Zamboanga del Sur police director, said Magbian surrendered around 6:15 p.m. Tuesday in Barangay Lower Baluran in Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Albarico said Magbian is a medic and team leader of the Guerilla Front 13 of the NPA’s WMRPC.

Magbian’s group was previously operating in the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay and in the towns of Bayog and Lakewood, both in Zamboanga del Sur.

On the same day, Albarico said Racho surrendered around 6:30 p.m. also in Barangay Lower Baluran of Imelda town.

He said Racho is a team leader of the Guerilla Front FLEX-A of the NPA’s WMRPC.

The group of Racho was formerly operating in the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, and in the municipalities of Bayog and Lakewood.

He added that Liezel surrendered around 6:45 p.m. Tuesday also in Barangay Lower Baluran.

Albarico said Liezel served as a medic of the Guerilla Front FLEX-A of the NPA’s WMRPC and was previously operating in the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, and the towns of Bayog and Lakewood.

The two officials said the surrender of the four NPA members was the result of the unwavering intelligence campaign against them and their legal fronts in the Zamboanga Peninsula to weed out the existence of all types of threat groups in the region.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1169376