Key Philippine Military and Insurgency-Related Events: WESTMINCOM: Communist terrorist group member yield to troops in Cotabato

Saturday, July 29, 2023

WESTMINCOM: Communist terrorist group member yield to troops in Cotabato

Posted to the Western Mindanao Command (WESTMINCOM) Facebook Page (Jul 28, 2023): Communist terrorist group member yield to troops in Cotabato

Communist terrorist group member yield to troops in Cotabato
Camp Navarro, Calarian, Zamboanga City – July 28, 2023

A member of the communist terrorist group yielded to the troops in Cotabato on July 26, 2023.
Alias Joko, a member of Squad 3, Platoon Fury, Sub-Regional Committee 5, North Central Mindanao Regional Committee, surrendered to the 34th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Guiling, Alamada, Cotabato at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Lt. Col. Rey Rico, Commanding Officer of 34IB, welcomed the former rebel back to the mainstream society.

The surrendered personality was subsequently presented to Brig. Gen. Donald Gumiran, Commander of the 602nd Infantry Brigade. Brig. Gen. Gumiran attributed this success to the collaborative efforts of the military units under the 602Bde and the 11th Brigade of the Bangsamoro Armed Forces - Moro National Liberation Front (BAF-MNLF).

During the initial debriefing, the former rebel revealed that he was starving and having a hard time evading the military forces. Feeling tired and weary, he decided to surrender to the government forces.

Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, Commander of Western Mindanao Command, urged the other CTG remnants to do the same. “It is always best to end conflicts without firing a single bullet. It is high time for them to lay down their arms and surrender for the chance of living a peaceful life with their family and loved ones.”