By Jennifer P. Rendon and Glazyl Y. Masculino
Two alleged high-ranking officials and a fresh recruit of the New People’s Army surrendered to authorities in Antique and Negros Occidental provinces recently.
In Antique, Dodot (not his real name), 19, of Sibalom town yielded to the military on May 17, 2020 due to “unbearable hunger.”
Dodot, a member of the Suyak (SDG) Platoon of the NPA Komitwng Rehiyon-Panay’s Southern Front, is the second NPA combatant to surrender to the Philippine Army’s 61st Infantry (Hunter) Battalion. He is also one of the alleged rebels who clashed with Army troopers in Miag-ao, Iloilo in April 2020.
Lieutenant Colonel Joel Benedict Batara, 61st IB commander, said a certain Alan invited Dodot and some friends to go for a hike to the forest.
They immediately accepted the invitation thinking that they will go for an adventure in the mountains of Antique.
It was already too late when they learned that they “fell into the trap of the NPA.”
The group tried to indoctrinate them about the armed revolution.
Dodot claimed he was with the group that traded shots with 61IB soldiers on April 18 at Sitio Anoy, Barangag Cabalaunan, Miag-ao, where 11 of his comrades, including four minors, were captured.
After the encounter, Dodot claimed that he escaped and returned home.
His mother later sought help from barangay officials to assist them in going to the 61st IB headquarters.
Earlier, Batara said the continuous and intensified military operations will push NPA members into surrendering.
Such was the case of alias Botox who surrendered to the 61IB. The 35-year old rebel is a member of Sibat (SYP) Platoon, Southern Front, Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay.
On May 2, a newly-recruit NPA member also surrendered to the 61st IB.
Ken (real name for security reasons), 20, of Miag-ao, Iloilo, was a member of the NPA’s Suyak (SDG) Platoon under the Southern Front – Komiteng Rehiyon Panay.
Meanwhile, two alleged high-ranking officials of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to the Army’s 15th Infantry Battalion (IB) based at Barangay Tiling, Cauayan town, Negros Occidental last Thursday.
In a press release from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID), Lieutenant Colonel Erwin Cariño, 15th IB commander, said that rebel returnees were a 45-year-old female, who was designated as a front committee member of the South West Front in Negros; and a 27-year-old male, who was assigned as a squad leader of SYP Platoon of the South West Front.
The female returnee was a former finance and medical officer of the NPA’s South East Front and medical staff of Front 1B, Bohol Party Committee. She is the political guide of the SYP Platoon of the South West Front.
The two returnees yielded through the Community Support Program (CSP) team of the 15th IB operating in Barangay Sangke in Hinoba-an town.
Colonel Noel Baluyan, commander of 302nd Infantry Brigade (IBde), commended the 15th IB for facilitating the surrender of the two NPA officials.
