27 Cotabato rebels tagged in attacks surrender

KORONADAL CITY, Philippines – Twenty-seven New People’s Army (NPA) rebels allegedly involved in attacks on the Tampakan town hall and a foreign-backed mining firm in South Cotabato have surrendered to government forces, a military official said yesterday.

Lt. Col. Joshua Santiago, commanding officer of the Army’s 27th Infantry Battalion based in nearby Tupi town, said the returnees belonged to the Front Committees 72 and 76 of the NPA’s Southern Alip Regional Guerrilla Unit based at the boundary of Tampakan and Columbio, Sultan Kudarat. 

Santiago said the 27 rebels gave themselves up after weeks of negotiations with the help of government peace workers in the province. 

The military had tagged the two NPA committees in the attacks on the Tampakan municipal hall and the base camp of Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) in the past two years. 

On the eve of New Year’s day last year, heavily armed NPA rebels, reportedly led by Front 76 commander Emmanuel Fernandez, stormed the SMI base camp in Barangay Tablu, Tampakan and burned its facilities.

Dencio Madrigal, of the NPA’s Valentine Palamine Command, later said they would continue attacking the mining firm for allegedly destroying the environment.

Months later, some 200 rebels, led by Commanders Jeffrey, Lisa and Bubo of Front Committees 72 and 76, raided the Tampakan town hall. 

Santiago said hunger, pointless ideology and difficult conditions in the mountains drove the 27 rebels to leave the underground movement.

He said he has submitted the names and status of the returnees to the office handling the government’s Social Integration Program for their benefits.

Under the program, a rebel returnee will receive a cash allowance of P20,000 and another P50,000 worth of assistance in the form of training and livelihood packages.

A rebel returnee will also receive P50,000 for every firearm such as an M-16 or M-14 rifle that is turned over to the government.