ILIGAN CITY -- Three female communist terrorist group personalities surrendered to the military in the ZamPeLan area over the weekend.
Joint Task Force ZamPeLan Commander Maj. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete said that a female CTG officer known by the following aliases: Maui/Sol/Dylan/Lynda/Wang submitted herself to the 103rd Infantry Brigade at Kampo Ranao, Marawi City on May 26.
Alias Maui, 34, was recruited as a member of the youth sector of the CTG in 2007. She officially joined the armed group in 2011. She was the Secretary of Sub-Regional Committee 5 (SRC-5), North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC). She is considered one of the high-value individuals in the ZamPeLan area.
Meanwhile, two more former rebels yielded to the troops of the 10th Infantry Battalion under the 102nd Infantry Brigade in Barangay Litapan, Josefina, Zamboanga del Sur, on May 28.
Army 10th Infantry Battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Jose Andre R. Monje identified the two as Decel G. Delos Santos alias Baby, 19, and Aiza R. Baron alias Jean, 25. Both were members of Iskwad Dos, Platon Uno, Guerilla Front Sendong.
Both have gunshot wounds on their right arm incurred during separate armed encounters with the government forces in Barangay Siloy, Calamba, on March 26, 2023 and Barangay Carmen, Jimenez on February 2, 2023 both in Misamis Occidental, he said.
Decel was recruited by the terrorist group when she was still 13 years old and after four years of hiding in the mountain she finally decided to surrender.
"Both Decel and Aiza had gunshot injuries when they surrendered. Our troops promptly provided them first aid and arranged for their immediate transport to the nearest hospital for proper medical intervention," added Monje.
"The brigade and its units are always committed to its mandate that includes the protection of the lives of its former adversaries who chose to return to the fold of the law,” said 102nd Infantry (IGSOON) Brigade Commander Colonel Elmer B. Suderio.
"Just like the hundreds of other former NPA fighters who had laid down their arms, the two are also humans who are considered victims of the deceiving NPA ideology, hence, they must be treated humanely and be capacitated to be able to be reintegrated in the communities and live normal lives," added Suderio.
The new friends rescued (FR) will be assisted by the Army to avail of the government's Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program, where they will be receiving benefits such as immediate cash support, livelihood assistance, education, training, Psycho-social recovery programs and others.
Meanwhile, Western Mindanao Command Commander, Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, attributed the successful surrender of the three female CTG personalities to the relentless efforts of the Philippine Army’s 102nd and 103rd Infantry Brigades, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Lanao del Sur (CIDG LDS), the police counterparts, and the different intelligence units in the area.