2 NPA leaders surrender

TWO high-ranking leaders of the New People’s Army (NPA) of Guerilla Front 51, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC) surrendered yesterday morning.

Their surrender was the result of the military unit’s intensified focused military operations against the terrorist group and community engagement.

In a statement, 10th Infantry Division (ID) said the NPA leaders’ surrender to the 73rd Infantry (Neutralizer) Battalion was a great way to welcome the year.

They were identified as Randy N. Atong alias Andikon, Finance and Logistics Officer of Andoy and Basil Platoons, and Renie C. Atenza alias Ryan, Team Leader of First Squad, Basil Platoon and of GF51 SMRC.

“The former terrorists said that they were already tired of fighting against the government forces coupled with the experience of starvation caused by the dwindling support from the masses hence they decided to return to the folds of the law,” the statement said.

It added that the two former rebels surren-

dered unarmed but during the course of initial debriefing, they revealed that they hid their three high powered firearms composed of one M14 Rifle and one M16 Rifle attached with M203 Grenade Launcher somewhere in Barangay Sibulan, Toril District, Davao City.

The Alpha Company of the 73rd IB immediately organized a team to retrieve the firearms and positively recovered these at around 8:40 a.m. of the same day.

The 73rd IB noted that in December 2017, eight NPA members belonging to GF71, FSMR likewise surrendered bringing along with them two high-powered firearms.