23 rebels surrender
FOLLOWING the conduct of intensive military operations coupled with government-led interventions in the hinterland and boundary areas of Davao del Norte and Agusan del Sur, a total of 23 members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), surrendered to the various Balik-Loob Assistance Centers of the 60th Infantry Battalion over the week.
Acquiring operational responsibility over three municipalities of Agusan del Sur effective June, the Davao Norte based 60IB, launched a focus military operation in the boundary of the two provinces in order to pave way for the establishment of “peaceful, developed, and conflictresilient communities” in these areas.
Diverting from its usual military strategy, however, 60IB adapted a modified
“Whole-of-Nation” approach to its operation by involving, albeit tactically, non-military agencies in to play.
This includes local government units, other government agencies, indigenous peoples’ communities and local (non-IP) residents, and former rebels who have erstwhile returned to the folds of the law.
This means that while the military itself focuses on its “war-fighting” or internal security mandate, other sectors of the society are simultaneously directing efforts towards the ending of the communist insurgency in their respective communities.
1Lt Amadeuz VJ Celestial, the 60IB Civil - military operations Officer, this led to the surrender of 23 members of the CPP-NPA for the first week of July alone.
The rebel-returnees surrendered in batches over the week, Celestial said some of them turning over their CPP-NPA issued firearms and explosives.
He said 16 of the 23 rebel-returnees are regular CPP-NPA members while the remaining seven (7) are members of the Militia ng Bayan.
The surrendered firearms included one M14 rifle, one Garand rifle, one (1) Carbine rifle, two 9mm Uzi guns, and a 12-gauge shotgun. They also surrendered one improvised explosive device and one fragmentary hand grenade.
The 23 rebel-returnees came from at least four subordinate units of the CPP-NPA including Guerilla Front 34 (recently dismantled by the AFP), Weakened Guerilla Front 3, and Pulang Bagani Command 4, of Sub-regional Committee 4, Southern Mindanao Regional Command (SMRC); and Guerilla Front 55 of Sub-regional Committee 5, SMRC.
Broken down further, 13 of the rebel-returnees are from Kapalong, DDN; three (3) are from Talaingod, DDN; three (3) are from Loreto, ADS; one is from La Paz, ADS; is from Laak, Compostela Valley Province; and two are from San Fernando, Bukidnon. 21 of them are indigenous peoples; 21 males, 2 females; and five are of minor age.
According to 60IB, key to the surrender of these rebel-returnees is the operationalization of the Balik-Loob Assistance Center (BLAC) which utilizes a multi-stakeholder approach to entice active members of the CPP-NPA to return to the folds of the law.
Through the BLAC, He said the AFP engages the LGU, other government agencies, and sectors of the community—especially those who have direct connection/ relation to active CPP-NPA members—to create social pressure and smoothly facilitate the surrender of said CPP-NPA members.
Meanwhile, 60IB is continuously facilitating the entry of various government services to Sitio Tapayanon, a geographically isolated Ata Manabo village that lies at the benches of Pantaron Range, in the tri-boundary hinterlands of Davao del Norte, Bukidnon, and Agusan del Sur.