NPA fighters from Sultan Kudarat Surrenders in Maguindanao 

TACURONG CITY, Philippines — Seven (7) fighters of the New People’s Army (NPA) operating in the jungles of the Daguma mountain range in Sultan Kudarat province have surrendered to the military in Maguindanao province.

A press statement sent by the 1^st Mechanized Infantry (LAKAN) Battalion to the Newsline.ph, said that the returning NPA rebels were armed followers of a certain “Kumander Mak-Mak of the Guerilla Front 73 based in Sultan Kudarat province.

Captain Restie Magora, commanding officer of the 12 Mechanized Company of the 1^st Mechanized Infantry (LAKAN) Battalion, said that the NPA rebels named “Gaspar” and “Tikboy” voluntarily surrendered to them.

The two returning rebels, who are both residents of Barangay Ilian in Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat province, surrendered their M1 Garand rifles. A day after, five (5) more NPA rebels, led by a certain “Jerry,” surrendered to Captain Edgel De Vera, commanding-office of the 11 Mechanized Company.

They personally handed-over to the military officials their high-powered firearms and a landmine.

Lieutenant Colonel Lauro Oliveros, who heads the 1^st Mechanized Infantry (LAKAN) Battalion based in Maguindanao province, thanked the returning NPA fighters for their decisions to go back to the fold of law.

“You will not regret of moving down. The government has many programs of returning NPA rebels. You will really feel the sincerity of the government to help you start again,” Oliveros said.

Oliveros said each of the seven rebels will receive an initial amount of P20,000 from the livelihood program of the provincial government of Sultan Kudarat, under the leadership of Governor Pax Mangudadatu.

Oliveros added that if they will qualify to the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP) of the government, each of them will receive another P50,000 with mobilization fund worth P15,000 and the remunerations of the firearms they surrendered. -Ramil H. Bajo/Newsline.ph