DAVAO CITY – A whole unit of the communist rebel group New People’s Army or NPA has surrendered to the military in the southern Philippine province of Agusan del Sur, officials said Wednesday.
Army Lt. Col. Ezra Balagtey, a spokesman for the Eastern Mindanao Command, said 19 members of the Guerrilla Front 3 surrendered to the 26th and 75th Infantry Battalions in Loreto town on Tuesday.
He said the rebels, led by their commander, also yielded assorted weapons, including communication radio sets, grenades and ammunition. “Corruption in the communist party and the rebel group caused a whole unit of insurgents operating in Agusan Sur and Compostela Valley provinces to surrender to the democratic government,” Balagtey said.
“They can no longer endure the corruption and inconsistencies in their propaganda and action while some of them can no longer endure the continuous operations of the military,” he added.
Maj. Gen. Ronald Villanueva, commander of 4th Infantry Division and concurrent chief of the Eastern Mindanao Command, urged other rebels to surrender peacefully and avail of the government amnesty program.
“We welcome their surrender. This is the best gift to their families who are waiting for them to come home alive. Our lines of communication are also open to those who wish to take this opportunity to abandon the armed struggle and violence perpetrated by the rebels and embrace a life of peace and prosperity with their family,” he said.
There was no immediate statement from the NPA on the mass surrender of its fighters, but the communist group has threatened to launch offensives in retaliation to President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to destroy the rebels following the collapse of the peace talks.
Rebel forces have recently taken over a dozen pro-government militias and soldiers in the restive region where security forces are battling communist insurgents and pro-ISIS groups. (Mindanao Examiner)
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