LUCENA CITY—At least five alleged New People’s Army (NPA) rebels surrendered in Masbate province Thursday, the military said.
Major Gil Perez, spokesman of Philippine Army’s Southern Luzon Command (Solcom), said the rebels also surrendered their firearms—one M14 and one M16 rifles rifle, one M1 carbine, one caliber .45 pistol and one caliber .38 pistol—when they turned themselves in to the 2nd Infantry Battalion headquarters in Barangay (village) Bacolod in Milagros town around 1:30 p.m. The rebels requested anonymity, according to Perez.
Perez, quoting one of the surrenderers, said the former rebels could no longer stomach the extortion activities that they were forced to do against their fellow impoverished countrymen and the promises that were never fulfilled by the organization.
Perez said the rebels also surrendered due to the continuous offensive military operations in Masbate. RAM
RELATED STORIES