(Image courtesy of Police Regional Office-Soccsksargen)
KORONADAL CITY – Nine communist rebels abandoned the armed struggle and separately surrendered to police in the Soccsksargen region Wednesday afternoon.
Brig. Gen. Jimili Macaraeg, Soccsksargen police regional director, said eight of the New People’s Army members have laid down their firearms in Bagumbayan town, Sultan Kudarat province.
“The surrenderers belonged to the NPA Guerilla Front 73 Musa Far South Mindanao Region (GF73 Musa FSMR),” Macaraeg said in a statement Thursday.
Personnel of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion and Bagumbayan municipal police facilitated the surrender of the eight NPA combatants, who are all residents of Kiamba, Sarangani province.
The group turned over rifles and homemade explosives during their surrender.
In Sarangani province, another NPA guerilla also surrendered Wednesday to police in Barangay Batian, Maitum town. The surrenderer, identified only as certain “Ungat”, also belonged to the GF73 Musa FSMR operating in the areas of Maasim, Kiamba, and Maitum, all in Sarangani.
Macaraeg said their surrender "marks a significant step forward in our ongoing efforts to promote peace and stability in the region." (PNA)
