11 NPA REBELS SURRENDER IN NUEVA ECIJA, ABRA

GAMU, Isabela: At least 11 New People’s Army ( NPA) rebels belonging to the Kilusang Larangang Gerilya ( KLG) Caraballo in Nueva Ecija and in Abra surrendered recently. Lt. Col. Isagani Nato, Northern Luzon Command ( Nolcom) public information chief, said the six rebels in Nueva Ecija who surrendered in Barangay San Agustin, Carranglan town were also members of the Milisyang Bayan who initially went on lie- low status and eventually surrendered to the 3rd Civil Military Operations ( CMO) Company of the 84th Infantry Battalion and the 70th Cadre Battalion, all under the Joint Task Force ( JTF) Kaugnay. Recovered from them were caliber .30 M1 garand rifle, a US carbine M1 with magazine, a US springfield M1903 bolt action, two modified 12 gauge shot gun with live ammunition and magazine and a modified 16- gauge shot gun with ammunition. Nato said the rebels’ surrender was a result of a CMO in the tri- boundaries of Nueva Ecija, Eastern Pangasinan and Nueva Vizcaya. He said the other five NPA rebels surrendered to the 24th Infantry Battalion under the JTF Kaugnay and Abra provincial police office with the assistance of residents in Barangay Tumalip, Licuan Baay town in Abra. They surrendered without firearms to the 24th Infantry Battalion. Ranging in age from 15- 19, the NPA rebels were from the municipalities of Meyarai and San Fernando, both in Bukidnon province in Mindanao. The surrenderers claimed they fled from their camp in Sallapadan, Abra because of severe fatigue and difficulty of being young red fighters.