Twelve alleged members of the rebel group New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to the authorities in Claveria town, Misamis Oriental, on Sunday.
According to the Philippine Army, an NPA squad, mostly minors, surrendered to the 58th Infantry Battalion and 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion in Sitio Langusahan, Brgy. Minalwang.
According to Lt. Col Ricky Canatoy, commanding officer of the 58th IB, those who surrendered were members of the 3rd Platoon, HQF Neo, North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC) under the leadership of “Barman.”
The alleged NPA members also pointed out the hiding place of weapons and other war materials.
Recovered were two AK-47 rifles, a Garand rifle, an M14 rifle, a Carbine rifle, two M16 rifles, and an M653 rifle.
They also confiscated 770 different types of ammunition and magazines and war materials.
When the soldiers talked to the surrendered members, fatigue and hunger were said to be the reason why they surrendered.
Those who surrender will be placed under the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program.
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12 alleged NPA members surrender in Misamis Oriental
In September, General Gilbert Gapay, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said the University of the Philippines (UP) and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) are among tertiary schools with NPA recruitment.
The government security forces have been exerting efforts to make their presence safe in universities and colleges to prevent NPA recruitment.
The military official said that aside from the students, their parents suffered the most because parents would only know that their children were already members of the NPA after their children got killed in the encounters.
“All along, they thought that their children were in school, but they did not know that their children were already recruited and were being exposed to training in battle and being taught to shoot,” said Gapay.
Gapay, however, clarified that the military and the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) presence in universities and colleges focuses more on leadership and awareness programs.