BUTUAN CITY – An alleged high ranking leader of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army and his nine heavily armed followers voluntarily surrendered to the Philippine Army’s 23rd Infantry Battalion (23rd IB) in Mindanao on Monday, April 24, a regional Army spokesman said.
Maj. Francisco P. Garello, Jr., chief of Public Affairs Office (PAO) of the Army’s 4thInfantry (Diamond) Vision (4th ID), told The Manila Bulletin on Tuesday, April 25, that the 10 rebels were officially presented by the command group of the 23rd IB under the operational control of the 402nd Infantry (Stingers) Brigade headquarters here yesterday.
Shown in photo are the CPP-NPA surrenderees who were officially presented by the Philippine Army’s 23rd Infantry Battalion in Camp Bancasi, Butuan City on Monday, April 24. (Photo courtesy of 4th ID-PAO, 23rd IB-CMO via Mike U. Crismundo/Manila Bulletin)
The rebel returnees also yielded two M16 Armalite Rifles, three Shotguns, one AK47 Rifle, two M203 Grenade Launchers, 1 Carbine Rifle, 1 Garand Rifle and several assorted ammunitions, Maj. Garello said.
“With this new development, the CPP-NPA in Northern Mindanao is already in disarray,” the 4th ID-PAO chief added.
Lt. Col. Jeffrey P. Balingao, commanding officer of the 23rd IB also disclosed that the surrenderees led by certain ‘Commander Dahon’ belonged the Headquarters Force NEO, Regional Sentro De Gravidad COMPAQ, and Sub-Regional Committee 1 (SRC1), all under the so- called CPP-NPA North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC).
Alias Dahon (not his real name) is the commanding officer of Headquarters Force (HQF) Neo. With him in the same unit was his wife, certain “Miray/Snooky”, regional staff for education and propaganda and their other comrades-in-arms, the 23rd IB commander said.
Lt. Col. Balingao also said that the CNT couple, considered high-value individuals, revealed that low morale, no sense of direction, and exhaustion made them realize to give up and peacefully surrender.
Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Adonis Ariel G. Orio, commanding general of the 402nd Brigade, said that the fall of the HQF Neo leadership, a once leadership stronghold, has confirmed the imminent downfall of Communist Terrorist Group (CTG’s) NCMRC and resulted in the disarray of the NPA in Northern Mindanao region.
He underscored the said success as a manifestation of the effective collaboration between the Army and its civilian partners under the Task Force ELCAC.
"Our convergence of efforts under the whole-of-nation approach have continuously reaped results,” he said.
“We shall further strengthen our partnership with LGUs and LGAs to put more pressure on the CTG, for them to continue disintegrating with the lack of support from the masses and the leadership vaccum continues,” the 402nd Brigade commander said.
“With all these successes, we are more determined to end this fight for the benefit and progress of our people,” Brig. Gen. Orio added.
Meanwhile, the 4th ID is committed to securing sustained peace and development in its Area of responsibility (AOR), Maj. Garello said.
“Thus, we appeal to the remaining CTG members to abandon the senseless fighting and the violence it espouses to advance their lost cause,” he said, adding “the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program awaits those who wish to live in peace and seek better opportunities to start a normal life with their families.”