BUTUAN CITY – A New People’s Army team leader and a medical officer surrendered to the military in Barangay Puyat, Carmen, Surigao del Sur on October 9.
The 36th Infantry Battalion led by commanding officer Lt. Col. Vincent M. Viray identified them as Ka Nasat, team leader of District Guerilla Front 30, Sub-Regional Committee Westland of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee, and Ka Shan, unit medical officer.
The surrenderers cited their families as reason for turning themselves in.
“They missed their respective families so much and wanted to be reunited with them,” Lt. Col. Francisco P. Garello Jr., Army 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division (4th ID) Public Affairs Office chief, said on Wednesday, October 16.
They turned in five high powered firearms and bullets.
“Ang kakapoy, kagutom nga natagamtaman nila sa kabukiran ug ug ang kamingaw sa ilang pamilya ug mga anak nga wala nila nagabayan sa maayung dalan maoy hinungdan sa ilang pagbalik sa sabakan sa gobyerno, ang ilang gibutyag sa unang pakighinabi sa ila,” Viray said.
(Being tired, hunger in the mountains, and longing to be with their respective families and guiding their children are among the reason why they surrendered)
The military and the local government unit of Carmen and government partner-agencies are assisting the rebel returnees in enrolling in the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).
“This is also the main reason why they go back to the fold of the government to avail the E-CLIP assistance,” Viray said.
Viray urged remaining NPAs to come down and avail of the government’s peace and development program.