BUTUAN CITY -- Field units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) have neutralized another eight Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) members in the first week of 2023 in Southern Philippines as part of their continuing call for them to abandon the terrorist movement.
Of the eight CTG personalities, one was a commanding officer while another was a liaison officer under the dismantled GF6, Sub-Regional Committee 2 (SRC2) of the CPP-NPA North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC), reports of the AFP’s 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division said.
The two former rebel officers surrendered themselves to the troops of the 1003rd Infantry Brigade and 89th Infantry Battalion at Sitio Misalay, Barangay Digongan, in Kitaotao, Bukidnon province last week (Jan. 4). They brought an M14 rifle with a magazine and ammunition, the reports added.
The four others who were members of Platoon 2, Sub-Regional Sentro De Grabidad (SRSDG) Sagay under the SRC3, NCMRC also surrendered to the Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF-ELCAC) in Las Nieves town officials headed by Las Nieves town Mayor Karen S. Rosales, through the effort of Barangay officials also last week (Jan. 5).
The surrender rites happened at the town hall gym, and the surrendering CTG members turned over two AK47 rifles and two Cal .38 revolvers, and assorted bullets, the 4th ID said.
The former rebels were immediately turned over to the 23rd IB under 4th Infantry Division's 402nd Infantry Brigade on the same day to process their benefits from the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).
During the surrender rites, the town officials headed by Mayor Rosales provided them with food packs and livelihood assistance, aside from the medical assistance given to two pregnant members identified as Binongkasan and Havana.
Meanwhile, Northeastern Mindanao Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) Regional Director, Brig. Gen. Pablo G. Labra ll, also reported Tuesday the surrender of two more members of CTG on Monday (Jan. 9), adding to the increasing list of CTG surrenders in the region.
The new CTG surrenderers were the remaining members of Guerilla Front 16A of the CPP-NPA Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC).
PNP Caraga welcomed the surrender of these two former rebels.
“They both made good decisions at the beginning of the year and we truly hope that they will be able to re-integrate into the community and live peaceful and meaningful lives with their families,” said Brig. Gen. Labra.
The region's top police reiterated his call for the other remaining active CTG members and supporters to surrender.