Army gets over 700 new soldiers, also 2 ex-NPA rebels

PAGADIAN CITY – Two former fighters of the communist rebel group New People’s Army who surrendered to the government have enlisted into the military following four months of gruelling training in southern Philippines, an army spokesman said Friday.

Major Ronald Suscano, of the 1^st Infantry Division, said the duo – whose identities were not made public – are part of over 700 new soldiers, among them Muslims and members of the indigenous tribes in the troubled region.

Suscano said the enlisted men undertook basic military training which began in December last year. “The privates were declared graduates by Colonel Rufino de Leon, commandant of the 1^st Division Training School for having completed the Basic Military Training for a period of four months from December 4, 2017 to April 5, 2018,” he said.

He said a total of 736 soldiers, whose ages are 18 to 25, have graduated from the training. “The 736 new privates are  composed of Christian and Muslims of various ethnic group and 90 indigenous people belonging to the Subanen tribe, and the two former members of the New People’s Army,” Suscano said.

Of the total number of new soldiers, Suscano said only 29% were college graduates, 23% were college levels; 28% were high school graduates and the rest finished vocational courses from Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

But Suscano said one recruit, Randell Berlin, died during the training. He did not elaborate, although the soldiers led by Major General Roseller Murillo, the division commander, offered a minute of silence to pray during the graduation rites held at the army base in Zamboanga del Sur’s Labangan town.

The soldiers are expected to be deployed in Western Mindnao, a region where Abu Sayyaf militants and communist rebels are actively operating. (Mindanao Examiner)

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