CAMP MELCHOR F. DELA CRUZ, Gamu, Isabela – A high-ranking official of the Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC) of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) has yielded to the joint forces of the army and the police in Bontoc, Mountain Province on Thursday.

Army’s 5^th Infantry Division (5ID) Spokesperson Major Noriel Tayaban identified the NPA leader as Jacinto Faroden, also known as Digbay, the first deputy secretary of the ICRC of the CPP-NPA operating in the Ilocos and Cordillera regions.

Tayaban said the surrender of Faroden took place after a series of negotiations that started as early as March of 2019 by the intensified joint efforts of army and the police composed of the 54^th Infantry Battalion, Fifth Military Intelligence Battalion and the 503^rd Infantry Brigade, all 5ID units, and the Police Regional Office Cordillera.

“Faroden is now under custodial debriefing by the joint army and the police while we are processing his benefits from the Enhanced – Comprehensive Livelihood Integration Program (E-CLIP) of the government,” said Tayaban.

With the surrender of Faroden, Tayaban said that this will cause a big blow on the part of the CPP-NPA in Northern Luzon as their strength will continuously dwindle.

Earlier, Tayaban reported the surrender of five regular members of the NPA to government authorities in Isabela province on September 6.

The former rebels were identified by their aliases of  Ka Renato, Ka Jaime, Ka Kanoy, Ka Butoc and Ka Didag- all members of Sub Guerilla Unit of Central Front Committee, Komiteng Rehiyong-Cagayan Valley (SGU, CFC, KR-CV).

Tayaban said that three of them were members of the Indigenous People (IP) Agta Tribe of Isabela. The members of the IP were recruited in Sierra Madre Mountain Range. 

The Army’s 5ID Commander Brigadier General Laurence E. Mina commended the involved troops for their perseverance that led to the eventual surrender of Ka Digbay and the five other NPA members.

This significant achievement will surely affect the CPP-NPA leadership in Northern Luzon specially the members in Ilocos and Cordillera Regions.

Mina also expressed his gratitude to Ka Digbay for his decision to surrender.

“This brave act of a top ICRC leader is a welcome development and an encouragement to the remaining NPAs to lay down their arm and live in genuine peace. If a top cadre like Ka Digbay gave up with the organization that he thought could bring social justice and equality for all then why others could not? And so, I enjoin the deceived NPAs to follow the move of Ka Digbay and choose to live in the right path,” Mina said.