The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have once again scored a major victory in its relentless drive to stamp out Communist insurgency in Eastern Visayas.
This, as four ranking members of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered after a series of joint military operations in Samar island.
The Army’s 8th Infantry Division (8ID) said the four, identified by their aliases “Junjun,” “Yana,” “Tanggol” and “Digma,” were members of the subregional committee Arctic under the NPA’s Eastern Visayas regional party committee.
They turned themselves in following a series of joint military operations in Borongan City, Eastern Samar, and the towns of Palapag and Catubig in Northern Samar.
The four former NPA members reportedly suffered hunger, constant movement, uncertainty and prolonged separation from their families while with the armed group.
Their families also reached out to them through the government's Local Peace Engagement family approach, encouraging them to leave the armed movement and return to their communities.
The surrender also led to the recovery of two firearms caches, according to the 8ID.
On September 16, troops recovered three M16 rifles and an M14 rifle from the first cache. Hours later, another cache yielded one M16 rifle and one M14 rifle, bringing the total number of recovered firearms to six.
The military said the successive surrender of members reduces the manpower and capabilities of the underground movement, while demonstrating that its members have options to return to civilian life.
Former members of the armed movement may avail themselves of government reintegration assistance through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) and other programs. These include livelihood and other forms of assistance intended to help former members transition to peaceful and productive civilian lives.
The 8ID encouraged other members of the underground movement to consider surrendering, reunite with their families and avail of available government reintegration programs.
(With report from PNA/OpinYon News Team)
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