NPA couple yield to Army in South Cotabato

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao — A couple tagged as communist guerrillas pursued by government forces in the hinterlands of Lake Sebu in South Cotabato province surrendered to authorities on Tuesday night.

Lieutenant Colonel Zandro Alvez, commander of the Army’s 5th Special Forces Battalion, identified them only as Alias Loloy and Alias Lalay.

Alvez said they turned in their M16 and M14 rifles with ammunition during simple surrender rites.

Alvez said the husband was a political instructor of Platoon Madrid of South Regional Command Daguma. The wife was a medic of a New People’s Army (NPA) unit operating in the hinterlands of Barangay Ned.

“People are becoming more discerning and capable of distinguishing between the truth and lies,” said Brigadier General Pedro Balisi Jr., commander of the Army’s First Mechanized Infantry Brigade, about the surrender.

“I am glad that in the area of operation of Joint Task Force Central, we are winning the war against the communist movement, and we are building peaceful and progressive communities,” said Major General Roy Galido, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.

Since January this year, 119 NPA guerrillas have surrendered to the military in south-central Mindanao.

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