9 REBELS SURRENDER IN NEGROS

BACOLOD CITY: Following a series of setbacks in the battlefield, nine members of the New People’s Army (NPA) on Negros Island surrendered to the 94th Infantry Battalion.

On Friday, Capt. Mervin Rosal, 303rd Infantry Brigade Civil Military Operations officer, said the nine rebel returnees were members of the Central Negros 2 under the Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros/Cebu/Bohol/Siquijor.

Rosal said the rebel returnees also turned over an M14 assault rifle, three homemade 12 gauge shotguns and a .38 caliber revolver.

Lt. Col. Van Donald Almonte, 94th Infantry Battalion commander, presented the nine to Brig. Gen. Orlando Edralin, commanding officer of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, at Camp Major Nelson Gerona in Barangay Minoyan, Murcia.

The surrendered NPA rebels were led by their vice platoon leader, who served with the Sentro De Grabidad Platoon of Central Negros 2.

The identities of the rebels were withheld for security reasons.

The other surrenderers occupied positions at Central Negros 2 as squad leader, finance logistic officer, regular red fighters and unit militia members, Rosal said.

Edralin and Almonte praised the decision of the nine rebels to abandon the armed struggle.

Meanwhile, at least nine NPA fighters in central Negros recently died, while two others surrendered, in separate gun battles with Army soldiers in Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental, and Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental.

Another also died in an encounter in Cauayan, Negros Occidental.

A total of 16 firearms as well as several explosives and improvised land mines, among other war materiel, were recovered from the encounter sites by government forces. The soldiers are still pursuing the NPA remnants in central Negros.

The nine surrendered rebels will receive financial and livelihood assistance from the government through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Those who surrendered firearms will also receive cash, in exchange for the guns they have surrendered.