Following the arrest of high-ranking leader of New People’s Army and three others last week, another communist guerrilla surrendered to the 27th Infantry Battalion on Monday in Tupi, South Cotabato.
1Lt. Efren James Halawig, Civil Military Operations officer of the 27th IB, said alias Darwin surrendered because of constant hunger and fear of death. Also, the arrest of Kumander Costan degraded the morale of the rebels.
The rebel returnee brought along two M16 rifles in his surrender.
“I surrendered because I was afraid to die,” he said.
Last Oct.10, 2019, elements of the 27th IB apprehended Nicanor Pason aka Kumander Costan, a known NPA leader who operated in Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato.
“He will be added to the list of earlier surrenderers who will be processed to avail of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration program or E-CLIP,” Lt. Col. Jones Otida, the 27th IB commander, said.
“The snowballing of surrenderers marks the productive implementation of the EO 70 and Task Force-Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict,” he added.
The Executive Order 70, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte, adopts a whole-of-nation approach against communist rebellion.
