7 commies yield in South

From the Mindanao Examiner (Oct 18, 2021): 7 commies yield in South

Seven New People’s Army rebels have surrendered to the military in Mindanao where security forces are fighting two fronts - the war on insurgents and winning hearts and minds in the countryside - in an effort to end decades of bloody war in the South that had killed tens of thousands of people.



A photo released by the military's Western Mindanao Command to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner shows the seven New People's Army rebels following their surrender on Sunday, October 17, 2021 in Sultan Kudarat's Isulan town.

Maj. Gen. Alfredo Rosario Jr, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, said the rebels surrendered Sunday to the 7th Infantry Battalion in the town of Isulan in Sultan Kudarat province, a stronghold of communist insurgents in the restive region.

Rosario, quoting a report from Lt. Col. Romel Valencia, the battalion commander, said the rebels surrendered three rifles, a shot gun and a grenade launcher.

“The successful surrender of the seven CTG members is a result of the collaborative efforts of the Community Support Program operators of this battalion,” Velencia said in his report.

Last week, eight rebels also surrendered to Valencia’s group, according to Rosario, adding, nearly 100 insurgents have so far surrendered in central Mindanao since early this year with the military collecting 73 assorted weapons.

Rosario also urged other rebels to surrender and take advantage of the government’s amnesty program and start a new life and live peacefully with their families.

“The military is always willing to welcome former rebels and violent extremists who wish to lay down their arms, go back to the mainstream society, and live a peaceful life with their family,” he said.

Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, commander of the Joint Task Force Central, said the strength and capability of the rebels in the region continue to dwindle with the mass surrender of insurgents and lauded troops for their efforts in convincing the communists to return to the fold of the law.

“I commend our troops, our partners, and stakeholders for the significant breakthroughs in our campaign against terrorism and violent extremism,” Uy said.

The rebels have been fighting since the 1970s for the establishment of a communist regime in the country. Peace talks with the previous and current administrations had failed largely due to rebel demands to free all political detainees and co-equal control of the democratic government.

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