'Negotiations' led to surrender of 17 rebels in Bukidnon

From the Philippine News Agency (May 4. 2021): 'Negotiations' led to surrender of 17 rebels in Bukidnon

SURRENDER. The firearms and other war materiel from the 17 communist rebels who surrendered on May 3, 2021 in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, are displayed by the Army's 1st Special Forces Battalion under 403rd Brigade (403rd Bde) on Monday. The Army unit attributed the surrender to persistent negotiations with the rebels. (Photo courtesy of 4ID)

The Army's 1st Special Forces Battalion (1SFB) under 403rd Brigade (403rd Bde) said Tuesday the surrender of 17 communist New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Bukidnon was part of its "continuous negotiations" with the guerillas in the area.

Lt. Col. Vercisio San Jose, 1SFB commander, said the surrenderers belong to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) NPA Sub-Regional Committee 4 (SRC) of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee led by a certain Dionisio Micabalo.

“Our relentless military operations against this NPA unit and continuous negotiations forced them to surrender bringing with them eleven high-powered firearms,” San Jose said.

He said the rebels surrendered on May 3 in Barangay Mampayag, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.

Maj. Gen. Andres Centino, commander of the Army's 4th Infantry Division, said the latest batch of surrenderers weakened further the communist rebel movement in Bukidnon.

“We will continue to press the fight against the CTG (Communist Terrorist Group) in our area of operations first to pressure them to surrender or decimate their forces through armed engagement if necessary,” he said.

The 17 surrenderers received cash assistance and a sack of rice from the province of Bukidnon through Gov. Jose Maria R. Zubiri Jr., while the Department of Social Welfare and Development also provided cash and food assistance as part of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program by the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1139074