MARAMAG, Bukidnon, August 19—A day after their 12 counterparts yielded, another three New People’s Army (NPA) rebels, each with firearms, surrendered at around nine o’clock in the evening of Saturday, 15 August, to the 88th Infantry “Maringal” Battalion at 88IB Headquarters, South Poblacion, Maramag, Bukidnon.
They were identified as members of Malayag 1, Guerilla Front Malayag, SRC2, NCMRC under alias ‘Ricky’ operating in the areas of Cabanglasan, Bukidnon.
In an interview, one of them later revealed that they decided to surrender upon knowing that 12 of their comrades already submitted themselves to the government forces and laid down their 11 firearms on August 14.
The three armed surrendering NPAs were identified as alias ‘Kuyaw’ and alias ‘Dongkoy’—regular NPA members—and alias Micheal, a Militia ng Bayan member. They brought along with them one Carbine M1 rifle; two homemade shotguns; and one homemade pistol revolver.
“Grabe nga ka hadlok para sa among kinabuhi ang among nasinati samtang naa mi sa lasang. Nahadlok mi nga mangamatay sa way hinungdan nga pamaagi. Nakuyawan nasad ko kay daghan na nag-surender. Mas tsada manurender nalang sad mi. (We are so scared for our lives while we are in the hinterlands and forested area, we are afraid to die trivially. I was also worried because many of my comrades already surrendered. We thought of this as the best option we have),” alias Kuyaw said in his dialect.
Few months ago, the government troops engaged with the members of GF Malayag in the municipalities of San Fernando and Cabanglasan which resulted in the death and wounding of NPAs, seizure of their temporary hideouts, and the capture of numerous firearms, war materials, and subversive documents of the said communist terrorist group.
Lt Col. Franklin Fabic, Commanding Officer of 88IB warmly welcomed the surrender of the members of GF Malayag. “I am very happy to know that more and more members of GF Malayag chose to return to the folds of the law. We encourage other members to surrender and benefit from different government programs through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).” (CMO, 88IB, 4ID, PA/PIA Bukidnon)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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