2 NPA members yield in Davao

DAVAO CITY—The military on Wednesday said two ranking members of the New People’s Army (NPA) operating in the borders of this city and Davao del Sur have surrendered to authorities.

Lt. China Celina Castro, civil-military operations officer of the Army’s 73rd Infantry Battalion, identified the rebels as Randy Atong alias Andikon, the supposed finance and logistics officer of two platoons under the NPA’s Guerrilla Front 51; and Renie Atensa alias Ryan, allegedly a squad leader of GF-51.

Castro said the rebels turned themselves in Wednesday morning unarmed and revealed a weapons cache they had stashed somewhere in Sibulan village, in Toril district here.

Soldiers checking on their report found an M16 rifle attached with M203 grenade launcher and an M14 rifle, said Lt. Col. Marion Angcao, the commander of the Malita, Davao Occidental-based 73rd IB.

“The former terrorists said they were already tired of fighting against government forces and [that they were faced with] dwindling support from residents there,” Castro said in a statement.

Angcao said the surrendered rebels would be given financial and livelihood assistance through the government’s Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP).

Last month, eight rebels operating in Davao del Sur also yielded to the military, bringing along with them several weapons, Castro said. Frinston Lim INQ