8 NPAs surrender to military in Sultan Kudarat
February 5, 2018 | 8:00am
Personnel of the 33rd Infantry Battalion on an operation in Sultan Kudarat province. 33rd Infantry 'Makabayan' Battalion Facebook page, file
SULTAN KUDARAT, Philippines — The Army's 6th Infantry Division said eight more New People's Army guerrillas surrendered in Sultan Kuudarat province over the weekend.
It said the eight belong to an NPA unit that collects "protection money" from farmers in hinterland areas in Bagumbayan town.
Capt. Arvin Encinas, public affairs officer of the 6th Infantry Division, said the eight NPAs, led by the 29-year-old Romeo Dongco, surrendered through the efforts of the 33rd Infantry Battalion, Bagumbayan Mayor Jonalette De Pedro and Chief Inspector Garyflor Marfil of the municipal police.
The 33rd IB has facilitated the surrender of at least a hundred NPAs in Sultan Kudarat in the past 14 months.
Dongco and his companions surrendered two days after Sultan Kudarat Gov. Pax Mangudadatu released a P20,000 cash grant each to 32 former rebels who had pledged allegiance to the government in the last quarter of 2017.
The cash assistance was turned over at the provincial capitol of Sultan Kudarat in Isulan town during a simple program organized by the governor's office and Police Regional Office-12.
Chief Inspector Aldrin Gonzales, information officer of PRO-12, said Sunday that 19 of the 32 former NPAs yielded through the efforts of Senior Superintendent Raul Supiter, director of the Sultan Kudarat provincial police office.
Gonzalez said PRO-12 is grateful to the Sultan Kudarat provincial government for helping provide former NPAs with financial support they can use for farming and other livelihood projects needed to hasten their recovery and return to mainstream society.
"Many others had availed of support from the provincial government earlier," Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said credit also has to go to Army units in the province for supporting the provincial government's reconciliation program for NPAs.
The Communist Party of the Philippines in January played down the series of surrenders, including that of National Democratic Front of the Philippines regional spokesperson Noel Legazpi, as propaganda.
"Foot soldiers regularly conduct forays in far-flung barrios, round up residents, force them to sign blank documents and later present them as 'NPA surrenderees'," the party claimed in a statement on January 23.
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