AT least 130 members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and their supporters have yielded to the government in the northern and central parts of the country during a 45-day period, the military said as it accelerated its counterinsurgency efforts pursuant to President Duterte’s order to terminate the rebel movement before the end of his term.
The stream of surrenders from Central and Northern Luzon covered the period of December 1, 2021 up to January 13, 2022, according to Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command acting commander Major Gen. Andrew Costelo, who ordered soldiers to maximize their civil-military and combat operations in adherence to Duterte and the military leadership’s orders.
Among those who have yielded were 15 NPA regular members; 12 Milisya ng Bayan members and 102 members of mass organizations in Northern and Central Luzon, which are reportedly allied or fronts of the communist movement.
Just three days ago, Costelo said 50 members of a mass organization in Barangays Alfonso and Matue, both in Gregorio del Pilar, Ilocos Sur have surrendered to the Army’s 81st Infantry Battalion.
“Following the surrender was the presentation of the former mass base supporters to Hon. Alfonso Bailing, the Committee on Peace and Order in the municipality as he administered the Oath of Allegiance to the government and their formal dissociation from the communist terrorist movement,” 81st IB commander Lt. Col. Racii Alajandro Sotto reported to Nolcom.
Brig. Gen. Krishnamurti Mortela, commander of 702nd Infantry Brigade, which covers the area of Ilocos Sur, attributed the “continuous withdrawal” of support from to the effective joint operations of the military and the police, which are complemented by the cooperation of residents and the relentless conduct of the military’s Community Support Program (CSP).
“With the conduct of various community engagements geared towards addressing the needs of the people, the 81st IB led by Lt. Col. Sotto focused on the issues that are being exploited by the communist terrorists to deceive the community folks of Ilocos, thus bridging the gap that was once created by the deceptions and lies of communist terrorist groups,” Mortela said.
Aside from the surrender of the 130 individuals, the Nolcom also recovered a total of 17 firearms and three homemade bombs since December last year.
“The growing number of surrenders manifest the exasperation of the members and supporters of the communist terrorist groups of fighting for a false ideology that only threatens their safety as well as that of their families,” Costelo said.
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