Some four New People’s army (NPA) rebels laid down their arms before authorities after deciding to abandon their armed struggle in the mountains of Lebak, Sultan Kudarat, the military here announced Thursday.
Lt. Col. Allen Van Estrera, Army’s 37th Infantry Battalion (IB) commander, said the surrenderers, whom he did not identify for security reasons, belonged to the NPA West Daguma Front, Far South Mindanao Region.
On Wednesday, the four formally surrendered before the headquarters of the 37IB in Barangay Tibpuan, Lebak, Sultan Kudarat.
They also turned over a .22-caliber rifle, a homemade 12-gauge pistol, a .45-caliber pistol, and a rifle grenade projectile.
Estrera said the Army’s Community Support Program (CSP) conducted with other government agencies and private organizations made the former combatants lay down their firearms and return to the folds of the law.
The CSP targets to win the hearts of people in conflict-affected barangays through the immediate delivery of various government programs and prevent the infiltration of the local communist terrorists in the grassroots communities.
“These former rebels are tired of hiding and now want to live peacefully with their families,” Estrera said.
Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, the Army’s 6th Infantry Division commander, said the military in Central Mindanao remains open to NPA surrenderers who wish to come down and live normal and peaceful lives.
“They (surrenderers) are now awakened and have realized that the communist terror group ideologies are only based on deception,” he said.
The Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines has been formally designated as a terrorist organization by the Anti-Terrorism Council on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and separate part” of the CPP-NPA created in April 1973.
Source: Philippines News Agency
