BUTUAN CITY – Nine New People’s Army rebels surrendered in Bukidnon on May 3.

Lt. Col. Francisco P. Garello Jr., chief of the Public Information Office of the Army 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division, said the 88th Infantry Battalion and 26th IB, both under the 403rd Infantry (Peacemaker) Brigade led by Brig. Gen. Michele B. Anayron Jr., facilitated their surrender.

GUNS turned over by the surrenderers.

“The surrender of these NPA rebels also yielded six high-powered weapons and low-powered firearms and hundreds of live ammunitions,” Garello said.

The surrenderers belong to the Sub-Regional Sentro de Gravidad (SRSDG) of SRC-2 and SRC-5 of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA North-Central Mindanao Regional Committee.

“With the exodus of CPP-NPA leaders and followers continued, decades-long insurgency will surely end,” Garello said.

Major Gen. Jose Maria R. Cuerpo II, commanding general of the 4th ID, welcomes their surrender.

He said their surrender indicates the state of disintegration of the NPA terms of manpower and influence not only in Bukidnon but also in the Caraga region.

“After the influx of CTG surrenderers in Caraga, particularly notorious leaders, these recent series of surrender manifest the realization of the low-ranking members of their group’s eventual collapse as they are crumbling and in total disarray,” Cuerpo said.

“It’s high-time to abandon the fighting, start embracing the fact that we can only achieve genuine peace and effect change in an environment of peace. Together with the convergence efforts of all government agencies under the Task Force ELCAC and the support of the communities, we strongly believe this decades-long insurgency will end.”

The surrenderers will be enrolled in the government’s ECLIP program to enable them to receive livelihood and immediate cash assistance.