MANILA, Philippines — Five members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and eight New People’s Army (NPA) rebels have surrendered in Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat and Carmen, North Cotabato, respectively.
The BIFF militants turned over two Garand rifles, two M14 rifles and a 60mm mortar to the 90th Infantry Battalion (IB), Lt. Col. Abdurasad Sirajan, Western Mindanao Command public information officer, said.
Meanwhile, many of the NPA rebels who surrendered in Sultan Kudarat were squad and platoon leaders of the Daguma front.
Sirajan said the rebel returnees yielded an M16 rifle, a caliber .30 M1 Carbine, an M14 rifle, two KG9 submachine guns, an Ingram submachine gun, an M79 grenade launcher, a 12-gauge shotgun and assorted magazines and bullets. – John Unson, Ralph Edwin Villanueva