/PNA
MANILA — Some 11,605 New People’s Army rebels and supporters have surrendered to the government, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said.
Col. Noel Detoyato, AFP public affairs office chief, said on Thursday the figure is from Jan. 1 to Dec. 26 this year.
Of this number, 1,222 are regular NPAs; 1,398 are “Militia ng Bayan” operatives; 408 “Sangay ng Partido sa Lokalidad”; 1,133 “Underground Mass Organization” members and 7,444 others are considered as supporters of the communist terrorists.
During military operations, 120 were killed and 196 were arrested.
Seized high-powered firearms were placed at 787 while low-powered ones were pegged at 1,074. Some 546 improvised explosive devices and 310 camps were also seized during military operations.
Earlier, AFP chief-of-staff, Lt. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal said the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) celebrated its 50th anniversary Wednesday without any real achievements and its members fighting for a lost cause.
“Again, as far as we are concerned, the CPP-NPA have no reason to celebrate and no achievements to be proud of. We are reminding them that their options remain the same: we are ready to accept them, and they can avail of the benefits of ‘Balik-Loob’ or they might just die for a lost cause,” he said.
The NPA, the Communist Party of the Philippines’ armed wing, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union.