4 New People’s Army members surrender in Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines — Four ranking New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Northern Mindanao have surrendered to the Army in Bukidnon.

Col. Edgardo de Leon, commander of the Army’s 403rd Brigade identified the four as Lorena Micabalo, 24, alias Ka Jai-Jai; Gloria Jandaya, 63, alias Ka Diding; Gleceria Balangiao, 34, alias Ka Jao; and Jackielyn Ann Elaco, 34, alias Ka Lala.

Micabalo, a political officer, surrendered on Feb. 14; Jandaya, staff of the NPA’s Regional Urban Committee, and Balangiao, liaison-staff of the NPA’s North-Central Mindanao Regional Committee, surrendered on Feb. 11 while Elaco, finance officer and political instructor, gave herself up late last month.

“All four are members of the NPA’s Sub-Regional Committee 4, a group actively behind the radicalization of communities to recruit residents in western Bukidnon and urban areas including Cagayan de Oro City,” De Leon said.

In a debriefing, the four claimed that they decided to quit communist insurgency due to the false promises of their senior leaders as well as their frustration over contradictions between what is being preached and what is happening in the NPA leadership. 

“Their confessions  were administered by lawyers from the Public Attorney’s Office in affidavits that were presented to the provincial prosecutor in Bukidnon,” De Leon added.