NPA squad leaders, squad members surrender en masse in Cagayan Valley

October 16, 2021 JUST IN

BAGUIO CITY (October 16, 2021) – New Peoples Army (NPA) leaders and their members surrendered en masse in Ilagan City and Nueva Vizcaya in Cagayan Valley on Thursday and Friday.

Squad leader “Ka Nethan, 29; vice squad leader “Ka Gerber, 26; logistics officer “Ka Jazzel”, 27; all of Squad Uno and Squad Dos team leader “Ka Rey”, 27; “Ka Rod, 51, Giyang Pampulitika (Political Officer) of Squad Tres; all from the Regional Sentro de Grabidad (RSDG) of the Regional Operations Command under Komiteng Rehiyon-Cagayan Valley (KR-CV) voluntarily surrendered to the troops of 95th Infantry Battalion (95IB), 502nd Infantry Brigade (502IBde), Philippine Army and Police Regional Office 2 (PRO2) in Ilagan City on Thursday, laying down three high powered firearms — an Elisco M16 rifle, a Bushmaster M16 rifle, another M16 A1 rifle with one short magazine loaded with 15 rounds of live ammunition.

Yet on Friday morning, “Ka Rod,” Medical Officer of West Front Committee, Komiteng Probinsya (KOMPROB) Cagayan, also surrendered in Nueva Vizcaya through the efforts of Cagayan Valley policemen and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA).

Authorities said the communist rebel leaders and their members bared that their “playing grounds” are reduced by the day and they can hardly find any place to hide as they are no longer welcome in the communities that used to support them.

The military said village folks no longer believe in their cause and are reporting their presence to them.

Intensified military operations that led to a series of encounters, resulting in the death of their leaders, surrender of their leaders and members, discovery and seizure of their firearms and other materials, and the withdrawal of support of their mass bases are demoralizing the underground movement in Cagayan Valley and has been causing a crisis in their leadership.

Artemio A. Dumlao