2 ex-rebels surrender, turn over firearms in Nueva Ecija

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 17, 2023): 2 ex-rebels surrender, turn over firearms in Nueva Ecija (By Zorayda Tecson)

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Two former members of the communist group have surrendered to authorities in Nueva Ecija province, a police official reported on Friday.

In his report, Col. Richard V. Caballero, director of the Nueva Ecija Police Provincial Office, said the continuous call to members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) to abandon the armed struggle resulted in the separate surrender of the two former rebels.

Caballero said one of the surrenderers identified only as alias "Ka Nestor," submitted himself to the joint police and military troops on Friday and turned over a .38-caliber revolver with four ammunition.

He added that Ka Nestor is a former member of the Katipunan ng mga Samahang Manggagawa (KASAMA) under the underground mass organization Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY).

Meanwhile, the other surrenderer was identified as alias "Ka Allan," a former squad member of Samahang Yunit Propaganda (SYP) under the Josefino Corpuz command that operated in different areas of Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija from 2003 to 2005.

Caballero said Ka Allan also handed over a .38-caliber revolver loaded with two ammunition and two plastic bottles containing explosive materials on Thursday.

He urged the remaining rebels to also lay down their arms and surrender to the authorities.

“I am appealing to their comrades to also surrender and drop their guns, live as normal citizens as they have been fighting for nothing,” he added in a statement.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1197624