Two former members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) have surrendered to authorities in Ifugao and Apayao on Aug. 16.
Police Regional Office-Cordillera Information Officer Lt/Col. Carolina Lacuata reported the rebel returnees were former members of the Militia ng Bayan of the CPP-NPA.
In Apayao, the rebel returnee surrendered to the Pudtol Municipal Police Station, the 1st Apayao Provincial Mobile Force Company, the 1505th Maneuver Company of Regional Mobile Force Battalion 15 and the Philippine Army’s 17th Infantry Brigade.
The rebel returnee also handed over a homemade pistol with five live rounds in caliber 5.56 to the authorities.
In Ifugao, the rebel returnee surrendered to the Alfonso Lista MPS, the 2nd Ifugao PMFC, Regional Intelligence Unit 14, the Provincial Intelligence Unit of the Ifugao PPO, the Regional Intelligence Division, and the 1501st Mobile Company of RMFB15.
He also handed over his caliber 45 pistol, one magazine, with ammunition.
Lacuata said the rebel returnees and the authorities went through a series of negotiations prior to their surrender to return to civilian life.
“The rebel returnees are now under the custody of the respective operating units for custodial debriefing and proper disposition,” Lacuata said.
The tip from the rebel returnee from Ifugao resulted to the discovery of an arms cache of the CPP-NPA at Sitio Maloy, Barangay Cawayan in Asipulo on Aug. 16.
The authorities then conducted combat operations and extraction at the hidden storage of arms where they found a variety of grenades, pistols, rifle, and ammunition.
The recovered items were brought to Asipulo MPS for documentation and turned over to Provincial Explosives and Canine Unit Ifugao for proper disposition. Lacuata said the efforts are part of PRO-Cor and the various local government unit’s intensified campaign to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in the region. – Ofelia C. Empian
