DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 16, 2014) – Army officials said two more communist rebels have surrendered to the military in the southern Filipino province of Davao del Norte, bringing to 11 the number of insurgents who returned to the folds of the law in the past week.
Capt. Alberto Caber, a spokesman for the Eastern Mindanao Command, said Ronnie Andoy and Ryan Metoda surrendered to the 60th Infantry Battalion during a peace mission in the village of Suawon in New Corella town.
He said the two New People’s Army sub-leaders were members of the Sandatahang Yunit Propaganda-Front 33 which is under the communist Southern Mindanao Regional Committee. The duo admitted recruiting members for the NPA and participated in several attacks targeting the military and civilians in the province.
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, the division commander, welcomed the voluntary surrender of Andoy and Metoda.
“Conscience brought these NPA sub-leaders to return to the folds of the law as our people are aware of their anti-people works. Our Armed Forces and the police units are always ready to assist in their surrender even without firearms, but they should have brought their firearms, so that they will have something to start when they are reunited with their families. Every M16 rifle they surrender is paid by the government with an equivalent amount under our Guns-for-Peace program,” Cruz said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
There was no immediate statement from the NPA about the surrender.
Just recently, Caber said nine NPA rebels, including a leader and his deputy, also surrendered to the military in Davao del Sur and South Cotabato provinces. He said three rebels – Charlie Pasco, Jeffrey Pasco and Guiller Ombaoy – surrendered to the 39th Infantry Battalion at Sitio Balagonon in the village Managa in Davao del Sur’s Bansalan town.
And six more rebels surrendered to the 27th Infantry Battalion in the village of Tasiman in South Cotabato’s Lake Sebu. Among those who yielded were a rebel leader Rudy Sawang and his deputy Anita Dalugan. The four others have been identified as John Tomo, Lemuel Nalon, Luna Kaong and Dina Daludo.
The NPA has been fighting for many decades now for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. Government peace talks with the rebel group had failed many times following demands by the communist group to free all jailed rebel leaders and political prisoners. (Mindanao Examiner)
20