In a significant development in the fight against insurgency, four members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the Bicol region have surrendered to authorities. The surrender took place early this week, as reported by Lt. Col. Malu Calubaquib, the spokesperson for the Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO-5). The individuals who turned themselves in hail from the provinces of Masbate and Sorsogon.
Three of the surrenderers, known by their aliases ‘Dado’, ‘Ting’, and ‘Ando’, are all adults and were part of Platoon 1, Larangan 2, Kilusang Larangan Guerilla South Sub Regional Committee 4, under the NPA’s Bicol Regional Party Committee. They surrendered to a combined force from the Revitalized Pulis Sa Barangay (RPSB) in Baras village, Esperanza town, Masbate, along with the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC) and the Esperanza Municipal Police Station. They are currently being held by the RPSB Team Baras and the 2nd PMFC for debriefing and documentation.
In a separate incident in Sorsogon, another NPA member, alias ‘Juan’, surrendered to a joint team comprising the 502nd Mobile Company, Regional Mobile Force Battalion 5, Matnog Municipal Police Station, and the 22nd Infantry Battalion Alpha Company of the Philippine Army. ‘Juan’ handed over a .45 caliber pistol with six rounds of ammunition. He had previously served as an informant for communist terrorist group operations from 2007 to 2009 and from 2019 to 2023 in Barangay Mapaso, Irosin town. He is now under the custody of the 502nd Mobile Company and the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 5 for further processing.
All four individuals will be enrolled in the government’s ‘Balik-Loob’ program, facilitated through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP). This program aims to foster reconciliation peacefully and provides a comprehensive package of assistance, including immediate support, reintegration aid, livelihood capital, and compensation for surrendered weapons.