Dozens of NPA supporters yield in Mindanao

KIDAPAWAN CITY - Dozens of communist rebels and their supporters surrendered to the military in the southern Philippines where security forces are battling the insurgents for many decades now.

Military photos show communist supporters with their weapons after they surrendered the 7th Infantry Battalion in Sultan Kudarat's Senator Ninoy Aquino town over the weekend.  

Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, Jr., chief of the Western Mindanao Command, said a total of 63 members of the New People’s Army’s Militia ng Bayan also surrendered 38 weapons, mostly old and homemade shotguns, to 7th Infantry Battalion in Sultan Kudarat province over the weekend. 

He said those who surrendered are members of the underground mass organizations of the rebel group - Pambansang Katipunan ng Magbubukid, Malayang Kilusan ng Bagong Kababaihan and Kabataang Makabayan – all from the village of Midtungok in the town of Senator Ninoy Aquino. 

Vinluan said the mass surrender was the result of the military’s so-called Community Support Program (CSP) in the province. “This exemplifies our sincere commitment to sustain the internal security here in Mindanao. Our troops on the ground will continue to work with the local governments and the Mindanaoans in ending terrorism without the use of arms,” he said. 

Lt. Col. Romel Valencia, the battalion commander, also said the CSP bridges the gap between vulnerable communities and the government and serves as an avenue for the delivery of basic social services. “This mass surrender is a manifestation of a good working system against the terrorist organization, the New People’s Army,” he said. 

Valencia said they have at least 9 CSP teams in Senator Ninoy Aquino town and would deploy more in other parts of the province where rebels are actively operating. 

Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, commander of the Joint Task Force Central, said the government will assist those who surrendered under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program in which they will each receive “reintegration assistance” amounting to P21,000 and P15,000 more each for “firearms remuneration, and immediate assistance amounting to P15,000. 

“They will be assisted by the different government agencies as they start a new life and reintegrate into the mainstream society,” Uy said. (With a report from Rhoderick Beñez)

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