7 rebels surrender in Calabarzon

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines — Seven alleged New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas tagged in armed encounters with government security forces in the provinces of Quezon and Rizal surrendered to authorities on Friday.

The identities of the surrenderees were withheld for security reasons, according to Brig. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) police director.

The surrender was a result of a joint police and military operation involving a series of face-to-face negotiations, Nartatez said.

The surrenderees turned over their firearms including three pistols and ammunition to the police and the military.

Col. Ledon Monte, chief of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion-Calabarzon, said the difficult life in the mountains and lack of food prompted the guerrillas to surrender.

The rebels said the NPA used them to recruit members and raise funds for their higher commanders.

In Surigao del Norte, nine suspected NPA guerrillas also surrendered to the military in Gigaquit town.

The surrenderees turned over 16 firearms to the Army’s 30th Infantry Battalion (IB) in Barangay Mahanub, according to Maj. Francisco Garello Jr., public affairs office chief of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division.

Meanwhile, in Northern Samar, suspected NPA guerrillas opened fire at a group of soldiers conducting community support program in Las Navas on Saturday.

To prevent people from getting caught in the crossfire, the soldiers repositioned themselves away from the civilians and retaliated, triggering a brief firefight, according to Lt. Col. Fernando Engcot, chief of the 19th IB.

The guerrillas retreated toward the jungle. No casualties were reported on both sides.

Rebels who returned to the fold of the law told authorities that the group that assaulted the soldiers belonged to the so-called Squad 2 of the NPA’s Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee. – Michael Punongbayan, Miriam Desacada