BUTUAN CITY – The Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) continued its dwindling decline as eight more heavily armed regulars voluntarily surrendered to the government, a regional Philippine Army spokesman said on Monday, June 26.
Major Francisco P. Garello Jr., chief of the Public Affairs Office (PAO) of the Army 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division, told Manila Bulletin that the joint Army-PNP operations resulted in the surrender anew of four CPP-NPA terrorists (CNTs) belonging to the Sub-Regional Committee Westland (SRC Westland) and Guerilla Front 16 (GF 16), both under the dwindling CPP-NPA Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC).
The four rebels surrendered to the 29th Infantry (Matatag) Battalion under Lt. Col. Cresencio C. Gargar in coordination with Butuan City Police Office (BCPO)-Station 4 and Cabadbaran City Police Station.
Garello said the rebels submitted themselves to authorities at the 29th IB headquarters in Barangay Del Pilar, Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte, on Wednesday, June 21.
On the other hand, the PAO chief of the 4th ID also said that four other rebels belonging to the Sub-Regional Command 5
(SRC-5) of the dwindling CPP-NPA North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMC) surrendered to the 1st Special Forces Battalion under Lt. Col. Roger Anthony E. Nuylan Jr. in Barangay Mampayag, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon on June 18.
“Practically, the government is already winning the war against the communist movement as more surrender feelers are coming to our field units,” said Garello.
Meanwhile, Northeastern and Northern Mindanao 4th ID chief Major Gen. Jose Maria R. Cuerpo II said in a statement that the successive surrenders were a direct result of the continuous focus military operations of the 4th ID troops to finally put an end to the atrocities of the CTG in these two regions.
The commanding general of the 4th ID said that frequent surrender of the rebels is a clear manifestation that the CTG is completely in a state of confusion and lacks direction due to a leadership vacuum.
“The relentless pursuit of 4th ID's troops, along with the unwavering support of the populace, has effectively weakened communist terrorism, leading to CTG's imminent end in the region,” stressed Cuerpo.