Heavily armed NPA rebel surrenders to army authorities in Agusan del Sur

CAMP BANCASI, Butuan City – A heavily armed New People’s Army (NPA) rebel voluntarily surrendered to army authorities in Awa, Barangay New Leyte, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur.

Col. Andres Centino, commanding officer of the Army’s 401st Infantry (Unity) Brigade, said Rey B. Valiente, 39, alias “Aka Carding,” formally surrendered Friday at the Brigade headquarters in Awa, Barangay New Leyte and vowed to help the government’s peace and development program.

The 401st Brigade commander said “Aka Carding” was a regular member of Squad 1, Pulang Bagani Command (PBC) – 4 of the CPP-NPA Southern Mindanao regional committee.

He said the surrenderee also yielded AR18 rifle, M1 Carbine rifle, 2 US M1 Garand rifles and several live ammunitions.

“This NPA member turned himself in to us after sending surrender feelers through a relative,” Centino said.

“The successful negotiation of his surrender was also made through the joint efforts of the 23rd Infantry Battalion, Agusan del Norte police provincial office and 401st Brigade,” he said.

“Aka Carding’s decision to abandon the armed struggle was due to hardship,” Centino added.

“Dili na nako makaya ang kalisod sa bukid, nagsige ra me dagan ug walay pagkaon aron makalikay sa walay undang nga operasyon sa kasundalohan (I can no longer withstand hardship in the mountains, we are always on the run, out of food evading the relentless operations of the military), ” Centino said, quoting the surrenderee.

Meanwhile, the regional command of Northeastern Mindanao Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) on Saturday strongly condemned the ambush staged by the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels on five Municipal Social Welfare Development Office (MSWDO) officers and peacekeeping force of Municipal Police Station (MPS) on Thursday afternoon in El Rio, Sibagat, Agusan del Sur.