Five members of the New People’s Army operating in the provinces of Negros Oriental and Bohol recently surrendered to the authorities to avail of the Balik Baril Program of the government.
Although the five suspected NPA members failed to appear in yesterday’s press conference called by the officials of the Central Command and the Philippine Air Force they were identified only as “Ka Rene Boy”, “Ka Ricky”, “Ka Jojo” and “Ka Jessie”, members of the Komiting Larangan Northern Negros under a certain Commander “Ka Hildo”.
The fifth surrenderee is a certain “Ka Ryan”, a former member of Front 1 Bohol Island Committee.
Central Command Chief Lt. Gen. Pedro Inserto said that the five surrenderees are presently under tactical interrogation by the members of the Philippine Air Force.
According to Inserto, the four suspected NPA rebels from Negros Oriental brought with them one M14 rifle, one M1 carbine rifle, two caliber .357 revolvers and several rounds of ammunition.
Ka Ryan surrendered a 12-gauge Squire shotgun with six live rounds.
Based on their testimonies during tactical interrogation, they surrendered to the military authorities due to relentless combat operations of Army troops in their place. They further said that there is demoralization among their ranks due to hunger, fatigue and diseases like malaria.
Inserto said that the results of the tactical interrogation will be the basis of action of the military against them.
According to Inserto, since he assumed as chief of Central Command a number of suspected NPA rebels have availed of the Balik Baril Program of the national government. He further said that they encouraged the rebels to return back to the government in exchange of returning their firearms.
In a simple ceremony yesterday, Inserto turn over P42,500 cash to the Second Air Division which negotiated for the surrenders of the five suspected NPA rebels. — Jose P. Sollano/BRP