Nine hundred thirty-eight regular members of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to the different line units under the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) since January 2018 to date.
Also, 1,217 members of the Militia ng Bayan, 434 Sangay ng Partido sa Localidad, and 8,932 mass supporters also yielded to different army units during that same period.
Lt. Col. Ezra Balagtey, EastMinCom spokesperson, said the surrenderees told the soldiers during the debriefing that they were already disillusioned by the movement. They were also tired of hiding and wanted to live normal lives.
Meanwhile, as of Feb. 9, the 10th Infantry Division also recorded 40 regular NPA fighters, 38 Militia ng Bayan, 13 Sangay ng Partido sa Lokalidad, and 22 supporters who surrendered to their units. They brought with them 10 high-powered firearms and two low-powered firearms, and 17 improvised explosive devices.
Capt. Jerry Lamosao, the spokesperson of 10th ID, attributed the surrenders to the relentless military operations, peace-building programs, stakeholders engagement, and continuous implementation of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program e-CLIP.
