CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City – Following a spike of surrenders last month, 30 more members of the communist terrorist New People’s Army (NPA) yielded to government forces over the past three weeks, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Public Affairs Chief Colonel Edgard Arevalo said Sunday, 22 October 2017.
“Since day one of October, the AFP has been facilitating the surrender of more NPA members, some of whom voluntarily handed over their firearms to our troops. This affirms the continuous success of our focused military operations complemented by intelligence and civil-military efforts,” Colonel Arevalo said.
The latest surrenders were on 16 October 2017 in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat where five (5) NPA members voluntarily turned themselves to the 57th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army. They were identified as Indo Sagpa Aquino who uses the alias ‘Six’, Amelio Bandala Limboy or ‘Primo’, Wilson Malubay Palon or ‘Jack’, Losion Samson Masot or ‘Mistah’, and Wilden Aquino Saliding or ‘Kugita. The former NPA Guerilla Front 73 fighters also surrendered three (3) high-powered firearms.
The first to surrender this month was a high-ranking NPA member who surrendered to the 39th Infantry Battalion in Arakan, North Cotabato on 01 October 2017. Alex Gawelan who uses the alias ‘Banate’ also yielded to authorities an M16 rifle. He was a member of the NPA’s Guerilla Front 53.
Other surrenders were facilitated in Abra, Surigao del Sur, Zamboanga Del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao Del Norte, Compostela Valley, Occidental Mindoro, and Cagayan. A total of fourteen (14) high-powered firearms were collected from the rebels including M16, M14, AK47, and Garand rifles.
609 NPAs neutralized
As of 19 October 2017, the AFP has already neutralized 609 NPAs; 121 were killed in operations, 71 were arrested, while 417 surrendered. A total of 331 high-powered and low-powered firearms were either surrendered or recovered from the rebels.
The AFP has been recording its gains in the fight against communist terrorism since the termination of peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front in 04 February 2017.
Prior to the cancelation of peace talks, the AFP has recorded 20 violent activities perpetrated by the communist terrorists in January 217 alone. Since then, there have been a total of 242 NPA-initiated atrocities to date.
“Our incessant conduct of combat, intelligence, and civil military operations are now bearing fruit as more and more NPA rebels are now returning to the government folds,” General Eduardo Año, AFP Chief of Staff said.
“This is a good sign that our brothers and sisters are now choosing the path of peace rather than continue on to their violent ways. On our part, we will continue to work round the clock to sustain our operations in support to the government’s peace and development efforts,” General Año added. (AFP-PR)
