206 NPA rebels surrender, 17 caught, 19 killed in ops since January – AFP

Young New People’s Army (NPA) rebels stand in formation during the anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines in a town in Misamis Oriental on Dec. 26, 2016. (File photo from Jigger J. Jerusalem)

MANILA, Philippines — More than 200 members of the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels and their supporters have been “neutralized” since January this year, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla gave this number.

She also called on NPA members to surrender and “take advantage of government reintegration and amnesty programs.”

The military labels the NPA a communist terrorist group (CTG).

“A total of 242 communist terrorist group members and supporters were neutralized, from which 206 surrendered, 17 were apprehended, and 19 were killed in military operations,” Padilla said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

She added that 159 firearms were also seized from or surrendered by these rebels.

READ: 61 ex-NPA rebels in Eastern Visayas seek government’s amnesty program

For former members of NPA who opt to apply to the government’s amnesty program, Padilla said the application is open until 2026

“The doors of peace are open only until next year, and we encourage those who remain to take the path of peace,” she said.

The Philippine Army earlier explained that the amnesty program serves as a means to encourage NPA members to abandon their armed struggle, knowing they will be pardoned with all of their criminal cases dismissed.

The government initiative is backed by Proclamations No. 403, 404, 405, and 406 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in November last year.

These proclamations grant amnesty to individuals who committed crimes in pursuit of political beliefs, whether under the Revised Penal Code or special penal laws.

In December last year, Padilla reported that the NPA had only one “weakened” guerrilla front left and that it was no longer capable of “staging major operations.”

Padilla noted that the ‘weakened’ unit refers to a group that can no longer implement programs like recruitment and generate resources to support their members’ armed struggle.

Since its founding on March 29, 1969, the NPA has carried out the world’s longest-running Maoist insurgency.