NPA hitman surrenders in North Cotabato

MANILA, Philippines — A team leader of the hit squad of the New People’s Army (NPA) in North Cotabato has surrendered to the 72nd Infantry Battalion.

Reports reaching Camp Aguinaldo identified the surrenderee as Harold Adjiaton, 30, who said he was with the NPA’s Front Guerrilla Unit and a team leader of Special Partisan Unit of Guerrilla Front 53.

The military said Adjiaton turned over a caliber .45 pistol with magazine, ammunition and a fragmentation grenade.

In Negros Oriental, an anti-personnel mine, an M16 rifle, a handheld radio, two cellular phones and food items were among those recovered by government troopers from NPA rebels following an encounter in Sitio Cabangahan, Barangay Bantulinao, Manjuyod on Thursday.

Brig. Gen. Benedict Arevalo of the 303rd Infantry Brigade said the rebels suffered casualties, citing bloodstains at their abandoned positions. Gilbert Bayoran